The Department of Sustainable and Bioinspired Materials (Director Prof. Dr. Silvia Vignolini) at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, invites applications from outstanding young scientists for a PhD project on underwater adhesion of brown algae.
In this project, we aim to understand the chemical and structural composition of this glue as well as to characterize its adhesive properties. The first step is to successfully cultivate the algae in the lab and analyze the secreted carbohydrates and polyphenols. Furthermore, we want to determine the adhesive properties of the developing holdfast after different time points and to different surface chemistries. The focus of this study is to characterize the molecular interactions between the various components on the surface.
More details about the project and application process can be found here.
Vision and Mission