Postdoctoral fellow in solid-state nanopores for single-molecule detection

Job location, Uppsala County - Sweden

Electrification and digitization are among the future's biggest areas for conversion to sustainable societies.

https://www.uu.se/institution/elektroteknik/ conducts successful research and education in these areas - including renewable energy sources and electric vehicles, industrial IoT, 6G communication and wireless sensor networks but also research and education in Life Science, health technology, smart electronic sensors and medical systems. The Department of Electrical Engineering is an international environment with approximately 160 employees who contribute to important technical energy and health solutions at the Ångström Laboratory.

Come and work with us!
The position will be located at the Department of Solid State Electronics, at the Department of Electrical Engineering. Here you will find a pleasant working environment with committed colleagues and a variety of experimental projects. The department collaborates with Swedish companies - public and private - and stakeholders in the various research areas. We look forward to your application. Join us and build the future with us!

Research project: The ability to study protein dynamics in real time is crucial to understanding biological processes at the molecular level. It provides insights into protein function, interactions and conformational changes, which is important for biological research, drug development and medical diagnostics. Single molecule detection techniques (SMDT) have revolutionized the field by offering exceptional sensitivity and precision, as they can track individual target molecules one at a time. Nanopore technology is one of the most important SMDT methods to probe the conformation and dynamics of biomolecules in a label-free manner.

In this project, we will develop a new label-free SMDT that can synergistically detect both charge and conformation of biomolecules based on nanopores and nanowire field effect transistors (nw-FETs). This enables access to the synergistic conformational and charge dynamics of proteins for molecular biology research and biomedical applications. The project includes both experimental development/measurement and theoretical modeling/investigation. Therefore, it is required that the candidate has a solid background in electronics, physics and mathematics as well as strong practical experimental skills in nanofabrication in a clean room environment.

Duties:

- Design and manufacture solid state nanopore components based on standardized clean room silicon technology; characterize the components through basic translocation and capture experiments.
- Design and integrate nw-FET with nanopore components; characterize the components through protein capture experiments.
- Model and simulate nanopore-FET components.
- Process and analyze sensor signals from the components; model the protein dynamics.
- The work duties may also include participation in teaching, however a maximum of 20% of the working time.

Qualification requirements:

- PhD, or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a PhD, in electronics (electronic science/technology, electrical engineering), (applied) physics or relevant subjects.
- The degree must be completed at the latest at the time when the employment decision is made. Primarily, those who have completed their degree no more than three years ago should be considered. When calculating the framework period of three years, the starting point is the application deadline. If there are special reasons, such a degree may have been completed earlier. Special reasons refer to leave due to illness, parental leave, positions of trust within trade unions, etc.
- Very good knowledge of English.
- We value your personal qualities, including strong motivation and good ability to work in a team.

Meritorious:
Experience in cleanroom fabrication using standardized silicon processes, nanopore sensor experiments or modeling of ion transport in nanoconfinement.

Instructions for application:
Please use the link below to submit your application. You should include a cover letter with a brief description of your research interests and relevant experience, a CV, copies of degrees and certificates, your thesis (or a draft of it) and other relevant documents. You are also asked to enter contact details for two reference persons.

Salary: Individual salary setting.

Access: By agreement.

Form of employment: Temporary employment for two years according to central collective agreement.

Employment scope: 100%

Information about the employment is provided by: Assistant Professor Chenyu Wen, telephone +46 762275768, chenyu.wen@angstrom.uu.se. Information about the department for fixed state electronics can be found at https://www.elektroteknik.uu.se/forskning/fasta-tillstandets-elektronik/

Welcome with your application no later than February 2, 2026. UFV-PA 2025/3895.

Uppsala University is a broad research university with a strong international position. The ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a difference in society. Our most important asset is all 7,600 employees and 53,000 students whose curiosity and commitment make Uppsala University one of the country's most exciting workplaces.

Read more about our benefits and what it's like to work at Uppsala University
https://uu.se/om-uu/jobba-hos-oss/

The employment may be subjected to security testing. In case of security clearance, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved.

We refrain from offers of recruitment and advertising assistance.

The application is received in Uppsala University's recruitment system.

Union representatives: Saco-S - saco-s@uu.se, Seko - seko@uadm.uu.se, ST (OFR/S) - ofr@uu.se