PhD candidate | improving mycelium material properties by crosslinking

You are a highly motivated researcher with a MSc degree in chemistry, holding skills in organic and polymer synthesis. You are willing to collaborate closely with both public and private partners on the development of crosslinked mycelium materials.

Job description 
This project is part of the FWO-SBO project MycoMatters (developing next-generation sustainable mycelium-based materials). The consortium partners in the MycoMatters project are Free University Brussels (VUB), Antwerp University, Ghent University and Maastricht University. 

Driven by the urgently needed shift towards a more sustainable economy, there is a rising interest in mycelium materials, of which vegetative fungal biomass is a main component. Recently, focus is placed on materials with leather- and textile-like appearance for applications in fashion, apparel, interior design and automotive sectors. Despite the great promise and global investments, there are still challenges pertaining to the development of a material that meets performance criteria while being fully biobased and biodegradable and to developing a scalable cost-efficient production process. These challenges are addressed in the project, which aims to develop a robust process for production of 100% biobased and biodegradable mycelium-based materials with improved properties, such as mechanical strength and flexibility, durability but also visual and sensory attributes. The project aims to develop a higher-throughput small-scale fermentation platform, based on liquid-state surface fermentation, accelerating the research by enabling a screening of various feedstocks and process conditions, in direct connection to material characteristics. Key innovations include the use of biobased additives, such as crosslinkers, to enhance material properties and the integration of a bacterial synthetic biology host in a co-cultivation approach to optimize cost-efficiency of the process and quality of the product. Collaboration with users will guide initial product development and help to determine optimal applications, thereby further orienting the research. An interdisciplinary research approach will be employed, combining expertise in microbiology, synthetic biology, materials science, chemistry, engineering and product development. Project results will contribute to the future development of new value chains that provide environmentally conscious consumers with a fully biobased and biodegradable new material aligned with the circular economy principles.

The task of Maastricht University is to improve the material properties of mycelium such as mechanical strength and flexibility, durability but also visual and sensory attributes. Crosslinking with biobased and biodegradable materials will be explored and the crosslinking chemistry will use dynamic chemical bonds resulting in covalent adaptable networks that bring e.g. self-healing properties to mycelium. 

This PhD project will result in a joint PhD between Maastricht University (UM, the Netherlands) and Free University Brussels (VUB, Belgium). The PhD student will be appointed at the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials of Maastricht University, which is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. You will work in the Sustainable Polymer Synthesis group of Associate Professor Katrien Bernaerts, which focusses on the synthesis and design of polymer materials with tunable properties and recyclability exploiting the functionality of biobased building blocks. At VUB, you will work in the physical chemistry group of Prof. Niko Van den Brande. The chemical part of the work will be preformed at UM location Brightlands-Chemelot Campus in Geleen (Nl), while the physicochemical part of the work will be performed at VUB, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels (Be).

Requirements
The PhD student:

• holds a MSc degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related fields;
• has skills in organic synthesis, polymer synthesis and chemical characterization;
• has interest in the material characterization of covalent adaptable networks (rheology, DMA, tensile test, …);
• has a strong interest to investigate structure-property relationships of the synthesized mycelium materials more specific from mechanical point of view;
• is open to scale up materials for application tests by companies of the advisory board;
• takes care of profound scientific publishing in peer review journals, if appropriate after patenting the work first;
• likes to interact with academic and industrial partners;
• is result driven, inventive, creative, counts with potential impact, works ‘accountable’ and works with ownership; 
• masters scientific English for speaking, reading, and writing. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.

What we offer
As a PhD at the Faculty of Science & Engineering, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2872,00 in the first year and €3670,00 gross per month in the fourth year (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1.0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• Your worklocation is Sittard-Geleen. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?

At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Science and Engineering  
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we focus on themes such as circularity and sustainability, future farming, digitisation and (scientific) instrument development.  FSE's leading projects, like the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder, are sure to grab anyone's attention.  The faculty is a vibrant hub of education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  At FSE, over 450 staff members and 3700 students gather to explore e exciting interdisciplinary research and educational programmes. Feel welcome, be part of our team and put your brilliant mind to work!  
 

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  
 

Department
The Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) is a department of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at Maastricht University. AMIBM is a European cross-border research institute established by Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University focusing on the development of advanced biobased materials. The mission of AMIBM is to replace traditional polymer building blocks with innovative and sustainable alternatives for the development of novel and environmentally-beneficial materials. AMIBM promotes world-class multidisciplinary research in the field of biobased materials, by training PhD students with the multiple skills needed to be future leaders in the field, and creating the research breakthroughs that will enable the utilization of sustainable and renewable materials for advanced materials applications. The multidisciplinary team draws together scientists with expertise in organic chemistry, biocatalysis, lead finding of new biobased blocks, polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer engineering, biobased and biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and industrial and medical applications. More information can be found via https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/research/institutes/amibm/research/biobased-polymers 

Research group Sustainable Polymer Synthesis 
Main research focus is on the design and synthesis of sustainable polymer materials with tuneable properties for the circular economy. Sustainability entails biobased building blocks (but no biorefinery) instead of fossil raw materials, green routes for polymer synthesis and processing, as well as chemical recycling/reprocessing methods (biodegradability, depolymerization, dynamic bonds) to make the end-of-life of polymers more sustainable. Structure-property relationships of the resulting polymers are evaluated in several fields of application e.g. stimuli-responsive polymers, coatings, fibres, engineering plastics and biomedical materials. Growing focus on the use of artificial intelligence techniques to support and accelerate the experimental work, e.g. data interpretation and prediction of structure-property relationships.
 

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Katrien Bernaerts, Associate Professor Sustainable Polymer Synthesis Katrien Bernaerts at Katrien.bernaerts@maastrichtuniversity.nl or at +31 43 388 2636 for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD? Apply now, no later than 29 September 2024, for this position.
Apply now and submit:

• Cover letter including your motivation, your relevant experience (referring to the “description of the candidate”, above);
• CV;
• Names and contact data of two people who could provide a reference;
• Diplomas/degrees including a grade transcript of previous education.

We will recruit until the position is filled. The selection process commences immediately, but will close when a suitable candidate has been found, even if this prior to the final date of the application window.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.