ERC-funded Postdoctoral Position in Microfluidics for the Assembly of Polymersomes for Artificial Photosynthesis

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The Casadevall Lab is seeking a highly motivated and ambitious Postdoctoral Researcher to join our team within the framework of the ERC Starting Grant BIOPOLE (ERC-2025-STG), Bioinspired Photocatalytic Polymersomes for Photocatalytic Applications.

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We offer a fully funded two-year postdoctoral position, with an expected starting date of November 2026, focused on the development of advanced microfluidic technologies for the fabrication of functional polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) for artificial photosynthesis. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the interface of microfluidics, soft matter chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, molecular catalysis, and artificial photosynthesis, while working in a dynamic, international, and multidisciplinary research environment.

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The successful candidate will join the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry at Universitat Rovira i Virgili and will have access to state-of-the-art research facilities and fully equipped laboratories located in Buildings N4 and N5 of the Sescelades Campus. As part of the BIOPOLE team, the researcher will collaborate closely with experts in photocatalysis, supramolecular chemistry, and artificial photosynthesis, contributing to the development of innovative compartmentalized photocatalytic systems inspired by natural photosynthetic membranes.

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About the project

Artificial photosynthesis has emerged as one of the most promising strategies for the sustainable conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels. Inspired by the sophisticated compartmentalization found in natural photosynthetic systems, the BIOPOLE project aims to develop functional photocatalytic polymersomes capable of spatially organizing molecular catalysts, photosensitizers and electron-transfer components to achieve highly efficient photocatalytic transformations.

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To accomplish this ambitious goal, we are looking for an outstanding researcher with expertise in microfluidics who will lead the development of innovative methodologies for the controlled fabrication of highly functionalized polymeric vesicles.

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The successful candidate will play a central role in the design, optimization and implementation of in-house microfluidic platforms for the reproducible fabrication of polymersomes and related soft vesicular systems with controlled size distributions, membrane architectures and encapsulation efficiencies.

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These microfluidic platforms will be used to assemble compartmentalized photocatalytic reactors capable of mimicking the structural organization of biological photosynthetic membranes, providing powerful model systems to investigate artificial photosynthesis at unprecedented levels of complexity.

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Working in close collaboration with researchers developing new molecular photocatalysts and catalytic systems, the postdoctoral researcher will contribute to establishing robust fabrication protocols while correlating vesicle structure, composition and architecture with photocatalytic performance.

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Beyond research, the successful candidate will actively participate in the supervision and day-to-day mentoring of MSc and PhD students, contribute to the establishment of standardized fabrication and characterization protocols, and collaborate in the preparation of scientific publications, conference presentations and competitive research proposals through data analysis, scientific writing and dissemination of research results.

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Candidate profile

We are looking for an enthusiastic scientist with a strong background in microfluidics and soft matter, capable of working both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Applicants should have:

• A PhD in Chemistry, Nanoscience, Chemical Biology, Soft Matter, Nanotechnology, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline.

• Essential: Demonstrated expertise in microfluidic technologies for the fabrication of polymersomes, liposomes and other soft vesicular systems.

• Proven experience in the design, fabrication and operation of microfluidic devices for the controlled production of soft materials.

• Extensive experience in double emulsion droplet microfluidics. Experience with automated microfluidic systems will be considered a strong advantage.

• A strong understanding of polymersome self-assembly, vesicle engineering and the physicochemical principles governing compartmentalized systems.

• Experience preparing and characterizing functional vesicles, including catalyst-loaded, enzyme-loaded, stimuli-responsive or otherwise functionalized polymersomes or liposomes.

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Applicants should also have experience with several characterization techniques commonly employed for soft vesicular materials, including:

• Optical and fluorescence microscopy

• Confocal laser scanning microscopy

• Cryo-TEM and/or TEM

• SEM

• Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)

• Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA)

• Zeta potential measurements

• SAXS and/or SANS

• Fluorescence spectroscopy

• Experience with quantitative image analysis using ImageJ/Fiji (or equivalent software) is highly desirable.

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Additional assets include:

• Knowledge of amphiphilic block copolymer self-assembly.

• Experience incorporating molecular catalysts, nanoparticles or biomolecules into vesicular systems.

• Previous experience in photocatalysis or artificial photosynthesis (desirable).

• Experience in the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of molecular complexes (NMR, IR, UV–Vis, etc.).

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Desired skills

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Excellent experimental skills and the ability to independently design and optimize complex microfluidic workflows.

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English (minimum B2 level).

• A solid publication record, including peer-reviewed publications and/or submitted manuscripts.

• The ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary collaborations.

• Motivation to supervise and mentor MSc and PhD students.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills.

• Curiosity, creativity and resilience when tackling challenging scientific problems.

• Excellent teamwork and leadership potential.

• Previous experience writing scientific papers, presenting research at conferences and participating in collaborative projects will be considered highly valuable.

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What we offer

Joining the Casadevall Lab means becoming part of an ambitious and international research team working on frontier topics in artificial photosynthesis, soft matter chemistry and microfluidics.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• A fully funded two-year ERC postdoctoral position.

• Access to state-of-the-art research facilities and instrumentation.

• An international and highly collaborative research environment.

• Opportunities to supervise students and develop leadership skills.

• Strong support for scientific publishing, conference participation and career development.

• The opportunity to contribute to an exciting ERC-funded project with significant scientific impact.

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How to apply

Applications should include:

• A cover letter describing your motivation and research interests.

• A complete Curriculum Vitae.

• A full publication list.

• Contact details of two professors willing to provide letters of recommendation.

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Please send your application to carla.casadevall@urv.cat and marina.diazr@urv.cat indicating "Postdoc_Microfluidics" in the subject line.

Application deadline: 13 September 2026.

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