Location: Highfield Campus
Closing Date: Tuesday 31 December 2013
Reference:  303513EB

The University of Southampton is looking for a PhD Candidate to work on a project related to the development of biofuel cells including potentially implantable biodevices for medical applications The project will be within the framework of BIOENERGY (Biofuel Cells: From Fundamentals to Applications in Bioelectrochemistry) Marie Curie Initial Training Network.

Description The proposed ITN BIOENERGY deals with the understanding of experimental limits and fundamental principles for exploiting and developing electro-conducting nanoarchitectures to assemble highly efficient bioelectrocatalytic structures as a basis for efficient and stable biofuel cells. BIOENERGY is a collaboration between ten internationally-renowned research teams (in Germany, Sweden, Ireland, UK, France, Poland, Spain and Austria) and three industrial partners (in UK and Spain), each with complementary expertise in a wide range of bioelectrochemistry.

The candidate will work on a project focused on strategies for the immobilization of enzymes for direct and mediated electron transfer. This will involve the chemical modification of electrode surfaces, their characterization, and electrochemical studies of the resulting enzyme electrodes. The successful candidate will enroll in the PhD program at the University of Southampton, where all requirements will be completed in English. He/she will participate in a number of workshops organized by the project partners as well as spending several months on secondments at partner institutions.

This full-time post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of 36 months.  Due to funding restrictions, this position is only available to EU/UK applicants.

Requirements

• Degree and Master in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, or Physics.
• High level of spoken and written English and good communication skills
• Marie-Curie fellowship Mobility requirement: Candidates can be of any nationality. At the time of recruitment by BIOENERGY, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work or studies) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment.
• The candidate must have less than 4 years of research experience.

Host Institution The Chemistry department at the University of Southampton (http://www.soton.ac.uk/chemistry/) is among the leading departments in the UK and is fully equipped with a wide range of modern electrochemistry instrumentation. It has around 40 academic staff, 140 postgraduate students and 60 postdoctoral researchers located in modern and refurbished laboratories. It has particular strengths in electrochemistry and is well equipped with modern electrochemical instrumentation. Wide range of electrochemical equipment, multichannel potentiostat, electrochemical SERS, EQCM, glove box, access to full range of IR, NMR, MS and X-ray characterization facilities

Equal opportunities and benefits The University of Southampton is an equal opportunities employer and holds an Athena Swan Bronze Award demonstrating its commitment to providing equality of opportunity and advancing the representation of women in STEM/M subjects: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.

Application Further enquires can be made via e-mail addressed to Dr. Sabine Seisel (sabine.seisel@rub.de). The post is available from February 1st, 2014 or shortly later. 

Please complete the University's online application form, which you can find at:
https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Search

You should enter Prof P Bartlett as your proposed supervisor.  Following documents should be attached: CV, statement about research interests, copy of MSc diploma or equivalent.  Please direct any enquiries about the application procedure to pgafnes@soton.ac.uk

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