Job Offer from May 26, 2026
Master Thesis: Polyelectrolyte modeling (m/f/d)
Project and activities
Many biological polymers, such as proteins and DNA, contain subunits that bear an electrical charge. These so-called ‘polyelectrolytes’ regulate important biological processes in the cell. Interesting phase behavior can occur if oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are in each other’s vicinity: complexes and even small droplets can form in a process called ‘complex coacervation’. This phenomenon is not only exploited to achieve biological function in life itself, but also in other fields, such as artificial cells (= mimicking cell behavior in the laboratory), on an industrial level in the food industry and in drug delivery (= making sure medicines are specifically targeting diseased tissue).
With the Eindhoven University of Technology, we have a collaboration in which we computationally try to predict this ‘polyelectrolyte phase behavior’. Do the polymers demix or stay in solution? What is the composition of these demixed phases? What is the influence of a background salt or the acidity of the solution? etc.
Application
If you are interested in applying physics and mathematics to explain and predict phenomena observed in living systems, you have some coding experience and you are interested in an internship at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer research, do get in touch with me (email and phone number below). I’m looking forward!
Candidates should send their application electronically containing an application letter, CV, to michels@mpip-mainz.mpg.de. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.
Dr. Jasper Michels (group leader)
+49 (0)6131 379 607