The strategic alliance between Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Utrecht University (UU) and UMC Utrecht (UMCU) has awarded a grant for a 4-year multidisciplinary research programme in the field of plasma medicine. This involves the generation and application of non-thermal plasmas to deliver a ‘cocktail’ of reactive chemical species, electric charges, electric fields and UV radiation to the target of interest. The research team will combine expertise in Physics, Chemistry, Cell Biology and Medicine to gain an in-depth understanding of non-thermal plasmas and how they affect cells and tissue. The final aim is to develop and improve applications of non-thermal plasmas to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and cancer.

 

The 4-year programme will be jointly carried out by research groups from TU/e, UU and UMCU with a newly appointed researcher in each of the institutions. Within this joint programme you will focus on the effects of non-thermal plasmas on membranes and membrane properties, using dedicated model membrane systems to obtain an in-depth mechanistic understanding of these effects. In addition, in close collaboration with your coworkers from TU/e, UU and UMCU, you will investigate how the effects of plasmas on membranes can be modulated, how they can be related to bactericidal properties of plasmas and whether conditions can be found at which plasmas effectively kill bacteria without harming human cells.

 

More information on the other Assistant Professor positions within the programme can be found on this website.

You are enthusiastic, proactive, and very open to interdisciplinary research, as this is the basis for the programme. You are eager to gain a good working knowledge of the approaches used by your colleagues in the field of plasma physics and cell biology, as this is essential for effective collaboration. You are ambitious and will apply for funding to further develop your own research lines. You have an affinity with teaching and will be involved in setting up joint teaching modules within the three institutes.

You have a PhD in (Bio)Chemistry or Biophysics and you have expertise one or more of the following areas:

• model membranes;
• plasma chemistry;
• microbiology;
• oxidative processes in cells;
• antibiotics.

Other relevant factors for your application will be your publication track record, teaching record, and acquired research funds. These will be weighed against the number of years of academic experience, thereby taking into account parental leave.

In order to obtain gender balance, we strongly encourage women to apply.

We offer a full-time position for four years, with assessments after the first and the third year, in an international working environment. Your local team will be supported by a technician and a PhD candidate, who both recently started. Opportunities for a future career plan may become available. The salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - between €3,545 and €5,513 (scale 10/11/12 Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end allowance of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model).

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old centre and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.

The Faculty of Science consists of six Departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 5,600 students and nearly 1,500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society. Read the overall impression 2016 of the Faculty of Science.

Membrane Biochemistry & Biophysics, in short MBB, is part of the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and participates in the Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and in the Institute of Biomembranes. Research within MBB is focused on biological membranes and the molecular interactions underlying membrane organisation and function. One important research line is the quest for effective ways to kill bacteria. Within this new interdisciplinary research programme you will closely collaborate with the Department of Medical Microbiology at the UMC Utrecht to explore applications of plasma medicine to combat bacterial infections.