Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry

We are looking for Ph.D. candidates in the field of Organic Chemistry with an excellent background in Macromolecular Chemistry. The Ph.D. candidate should have a Master's degree (or equivalent) in the above-mentionned fields. One of the requirements for considering your application is a solid knowledge of Organic Chemistry, especially the modification of polysaccharides and their characterization. Experience in designing polymeric implantable biomaterials would be appreciated.

Starting date (and duration): September 2021 (4-year long programme)

Workplace: Department for Biomaterials Research, Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava

University: Department of Organic Chemistry, FNS Comenius University in Bratislava

             or Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Proposed Ph.D. topic:

Title: Implantable polymeric devices using non-covalent and covalent click chemistry with self-healing characteristics for cell encapsulation

The Ph.D. topic deals with the in-situ preparation of hydrogels based on polysaccharides stabilized by both transient non-covalent and covalent cross-links within its network structure. Resulting hydrogels as an implantable polymeric device should be suitable predominantly for the long-term immunoprotection of transplanted cells. This dual cross-linking strategy will be established to overcome the low mechanical and chemical stability of ionically cross-linked cell-laden hydrogels upon exposure to the in vivo environment. In this Ph.D. thesis, a clickable polysaccharide, having enough polyelectrolyte-binding sites and biocompatible moieties, will be synthesized by introducing the ionic-binding and click-reacting functional groups on the backbone of modified polysaccharides. The obtained polymers will lead to the formation of hydrogels via combining the polyelectrolyte or supramolecular complexation with “copper- and light-free” click reactions such as thiol/aza-Michael addition and Diels-Alder cycloaddition carried out in physiological conditions. Finally, the physicochemical properties of the achieved hydrogels and their cytocompatibility behavior will be studied by encapsulation of various cell types (e.g. insulin-producing β-cell, native islets) with the potential for in vivo testing.

Please, send your pre-selection application (CV, cover letter, and 2-page project on one of the Ph.D. thematics) before May 15, 2021, by email. Further information will be sent no later than May 20, 2021, to the pre-selected Ph.D. candidates for the preparation of the following admission phases. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Email: abolfazl.heydari@savba.sk