The overarching goal of the Collaborative Research Center CRC 1449 "Dynamic Hydrogels at Biointerfaces" (www.sfb1449.de) is to define the key physicochemical parameters that determine protective hydrogel and mucus function at biological interfaces in health and define abnormalities in disease for prospective development of novel therapeutic strategies. We focus on the individual and combined contributions of hydrogel components and their functional impact on airway and intestinal surfaces. Our key objective is the molecular definition of mucus (structure, properties and dynamics at the molecular level), which we base on a thorough and comprehensive physical characterization, which allows us to probe hypotheses on a well-defined molecular level. Our modelling expertise will then be applied to specific key questions: What is the role of the individual hydrogel components, i.e., mucins, proteins, salt and water, in the complex process of their network formation and function?

Job description:

• Collaboration on Project A03 Network “Probing and modeling of transport properties of hydrogels” as part of CRC 1449
• Performing and evaluating simulations to characterize the transport of particles through hydrogels

• Simulations to characterize the active transport of bacteria and enzymatically active viruses through synthetic hydrogels and mucus-like hydrogels, taking into account the specific interactions with the hydrogel

• Data-based parameterization of equations for modeling the movement of flagellar bacteria
• Calculation of transport dynamics using the non-Markovian generalized Langevin equation

Requirements:

Completed university degree (diploma or master's degree) in physics or a comparable subject.

Desirable:

• Experience with performing and evaluating atomistic MD simulations
• Knowledge of statistical mechanics of equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems
• Very good academic performance, especially in numerical simulation methods, statistical mechanics, and stochastics

• Very good oral and written English skills.

For further information, please contact Prof. Roland Netz, rnetz@physik.fu-berlin.de.

How to apply:

Applications should be sent electronically by email to Prof. Roland Netz: rnetz@physik.fu-berlin.de, together with relevant documents (Cover letter, CV) in PDF format (preferably as a single document), quoting the reference code or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Physik

Institut für Theoretische Physik

AG Netz

Herrn Prof. Dr. Roland Netz

Arnimallee 14

14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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Published: 19.10.2025