We are looking for motivated Master’s, PhD and Postdoc researchers to work on a fully-funded TÜBİTAK project on “Investigation of structure-property relationships in amyloid-like supramolecular peptide nanofibrils” in the group of Dr. Ayşenur İşcen Akatay at Sabancı University. This is an opportunity for candidates interested in biomaterials, molecular modeling and simulation methods. The students will work with open-source computational chemistry software and data-driven machine learning methods to model and simulate self-assembly processes of peptide nanofibrils, which are biomaterials that self-assemble in solution to form nanofibers with long-range order similar to amyloid formation associated with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These nanofibrils are also used as highly functional materials in applications such as retroviral gene transfer, neuron regeneration and carbon dioxide capture.

Applicants with undergraduate or graduate degrees in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, physics or related fields are encouraged to apply.

For Master’s and PhD applicants, a background in biochemistry, biophysics, having experience with running molecular dynamics simulations or knowledge of basic programming (e.g. Python) would be beneficial but is not required. Postdoctoral applicants are expected to have prior experince with common MD software, such as Gromacs, NAMD and/or Amber, and atomistic simulations. Additionally, familiarity with machine learning methods is preferred.

The scholarship amounts for Postdoctoral researchers is 32.000 TL/month, PhD students 24.000 TL/month and Master’s students 16.500 TL/month. In addition, Sabancı University will provide tuition exemption, private health insurance, dormitory or transportation support. Students enrolled in other universities in Türkiye can also apply. Working remotely from other cities outside of İstanbul is possible.

For questions about the research project or available positions, please contact Dr. Ayşenur İşcen Akatay.