9th June 2022 : PhD & postdoc – Living Materials – Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics (The Netherlands)

Dear Soft Matter subscribers,

I am inviting applications for one 2-year postdoc position and one PhD
position in the area of Living Materials in my new group at the Lorentz
Institute for Theoretical Physics (https://www.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/
), part of the Leiden Institute of
Physics (https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/physics
).

You will become part of the newly completed team of researchers studying
Smart, Living and Active Matter (SLAM) consisting of the Kraft, Giomi,
van Hecke, Morin and Jawerth groups in addition to my own.

The search is ongoing, with an application deadline of *June
10**(tomorrow)*for both positions.

Living materials are made of cells or cell components, birds, or even
people and robots. They are driven from the inside out, leading to
phenomena such as flocks of birds and crowd waves at concerts. The
physics of this active matter is highly relevant to developmental
biology, as it helps us understand how organisms develop and maintain
their shape. Many of these processes are driven by single-layer
epithelial cell sheets in a feedback loop between active processes, cell
shapes and stresses that lead to emergent flows.

*Postdoc position:*

The aim of this project is, based on recent progress in extending vertex
models, to build a model that incorporates these processes from the
bottom up.  We will focus on understanding the emergent active
mechanics, flows, and rigidity of such materials that incorporate
microscopic internal pulling forces. At the same time, we will assess
how biology can functionalise them and make predictions for processes
such as gastrulation and germ band extension in drosophila or the chick
embryo, and separately for in-vitro systems such as MDCK sheets and
model organoids.

/Please apply here:/

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/vacancies/2022/kwartaal-2/22-264postdoctoral-research-associate-in-the-mechanics-of-living-materials

*PhD position:*

In this PhD position you will work on the physics of living materials,
using theoretical and computational approaches from soft matter physics.
Several work areas are possible: deformable particle models of cell
sheets and their application to the cornea of the eye, vertex models of
cell sheets and embryonic tissue mechanics, and finally also the
emergent active mechanics and rigidity of materials with microscopic
internal pulling forces.

/Please apply here:/

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/vacancies/2022/kwartaal-2/22-263phd-candidate-in-the-physics-of-living-materials

Thank you for forwarding these adverts to any interested candidates.

Silke Henkes

Associate Professor,

Lorentz Institute, Leiden University

The Netherlands

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