In het kort
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Department
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Organisation
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V25.0285
Job description
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate for a project carried out under the supervision of Prof. Ben Feringa at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry. The project is part of the EVOLVE Fellowship Programme (EVOLVE – EVOLVE Fellowship Programme), an initiative by six world-leading research institutes of two universities in The Netherlands (University of Groningen, Leiden University) to study complex systems and their role in the evolution of life.
One of the key features of life is the presence of its essential molecules, such as amino acids, proteins, sugars and DNA, as a single mirror image form. These single-handed chiral (from Greek χειρ (kheir), “hand”) structures are considered crucial for the evolution of life on the earth; a phenomenon called homochirality. The presence of exclusive single mirror image forms is often denoted as “A Signature of Life”. Homochirality is essential for, e.g., molecular recognition and information processing, enzyme functioning and cell replication. However, the origin of biomolecular homochirality remains one of our greatest mysteries.
One of the major questions in biochemical evolution is: “How does one break the symmetry?” Two key aspects will be targeted: i) chiral symmetry breaking; ii) chiral amplification. What is the mechanism that creates symmetry breaking at the molecular level? How can a tiny chiral bias (i.e., preference for one handedness) in prebiotically relevant molecules be created? How can chiral amplification be achieved to result in exclusive homochiral molecules? In this PhD project, we aim to use model reactions to discover prebiotically relevant systems for chiral enrichment.
Towards chiral symmetry breaking, photochemistry with circularly polarized light can be explored with model compounds to either accomplish i) deracemization or ii) absolute asymmetric synthesis. Circularly polarized light (CPL, the light used for irradiation has either left- or right-handedness) is considered highly relevant from a prebiotic perspective (strong exposure of molecules to intense irradiation and abundantly present in outer space).
Towards chiral amplification, our novel approach is based on phosphorylation of amines and amino acids to study chiral auto-selection and enrichment of chirality. The introduction of phosphorus moieties in molecules is highly relevant from a prebiotic perspective. We recently discovered that phosphorylation of amino acids can induce aggregation and provides a novel selection mechanism to amplify tiny chirality in water.
References
Absolute asymmetric synthesis: The origin, control, and amplification of chirality; B.L. Feringa and R.A. van Delden, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1999, 38, 3419-3438. Chiral Amplification of Phosphoramidates of Amines and Amino Acids in Water; V. Dašková, J. Buter, A. K. Schoonen, M. Lutz, F. de Vries, B. L. Feringa, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 11120-11126.
Organisation
The University of Groningen, established in 1614, is one of the oldest and largest research universities in the Netherlands, offering diverse programs across various disciplines. Located in the lively and historic provincial capital, the university has a vibrant international community, with students and staff from all over the world contributing to a dynamic and multicultural environment. Due to its innovative research initiatives and high-quality education, the University of Groningen is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.
The mission of the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry is to perform excellent research and teaching in molecular and supramolecular chemistry. It focuses on a broad range of topics, including synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, chemical biology, molecular inorganic chemistry, systems chemistry and materials science. The institute fosters an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging collaboration between researchers from different fields to drive innovation and address complex scientific challenges.
The research programme of the Feringa group focuses on synthetic and physical organic chemistry, inspired by Nature's principles of molecular assembly, recognition, transport, motion, and catalysis. The goal is to create new structures and functions, with an emphasis on molecular switches and motors, dynamic molecular systems, responsive materials, photopharmacology and biohybrid systems. The group also develops novel stereoselective synthesis methods and asymmetric catalysis. Chirality is a leading theme, and over the years, a unique and broad expertise in fundamental aspects of stereochemistry has been acquired including chiroptical phenomena, chiral amplification and the origin of chirality.
Requirements
We are looking for enthusiastic and talented candidates with
- A MSc degree in chemistry or a related field.
- A strong academic performance.
- A proactive attitude and the ability to work independently
- A high level of proficiency in written and spoken English.
Experience in synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, stereochemistry or supramolecular chemistry is a plus.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To comply with EU funding rules for this project, you cannot have resided in the Netherlands for more than 12 months during the 3 years prior to the 9th of June 2025.
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English, please see the University of Groningen’s English Language Requirements for details.
Conditions of employment
Contract length: 48 months.
We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:
- A salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,707 gross per month in the fourth and final year, based on a full-time position (1.0 FTE).
- A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income.
- An 8.3% year-end bonus.
- A position for four years; you will get a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years; prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years is to be expected.
- A university PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.
The starting date is flexible, but must be before November 2025.
Job Application
If you meet our qualification criteria and have not resided in The Netherlands for more than 12 months during the last 3 years, you are invited to upload the following documents: - A cover letter stating your motivation to apply for the position and your key competencies relevant for this position. - An up-to-date CV, including details of your BSc and MSc degrees. - Copies of your diplomas and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc). - Contact information of two academic references. You may apply for this position until 9 June 11:59 PM / before 10 June 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.
Additional information
For additional information, please contact:
Dr Alexander Ryabchun
[email protected]
Lotte Stindt
[email protected]
Prof. Ben Feringa
[email protected]
In your application, please always include the job opening ID V25.0285
Extra informatie kan worden verkregen via een van de volgende links:
The art of building small - Ben Feringa Research Group EVOLVE – EVOLVE Fellowship Programme Stratingh Institute for Chemistry
