Postdoctoral Investigator
: Job Details :

Job Summary:

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is currently searching for a Postdoctoral Investigator to join the Marine Chemsitry and Geochemistry Department. This is a full-timel, exempt position, and is eligible for benefits. The Postdoc will be initially awarded for one year with an extension granted for one or more years based on progress and performance.

This unique position is joint between the lab of Dr. Colleen Hansel at WHOI and the lab of Dr. Junhong Chen at the University of Chicago/Argonne National Laboratory. This hire will be part of a team of scientists and engineers creating deployable marine sensors for detecting chemical and biological analytes. This project will focus on designing, building, and validating a submersible and deployable field-effect transistor (FET) sensor for measuring hydrogen peroxide, a short-lived reactive oxygen species.

WHOI has a top-rated postdoctoral program (www.whoi.edu/postdoctoral/) that supports a dynamic postdoctoral community with formal mentoring and career guidance programs. While the primary focus of the work will be in research, the Postdoctoral Investigator will have the opportunity to participate in educational and outreach activities associated with the project.

Online application forms should be submitted with a cover letter, complete curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation. Applications will be reviewed upon submission.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

The Postdoc will spend the first year full-time at the University of Chicago/Argonne National Laboratory in Dr. Junhongs lab to benefit from the labs expertise and facilities for creating FET sensors. Upon successful development of a hydrogen peroxide FET sensor, the Postdoc will move to Woods Hole for year 2 where they will work in Dr. Hansels lab. At WHOI, the hire will work with ocean engineers to package, test, and validate the sensor for marine deployments. Trips between the labs will occur in both years to optimize design progress and enhance collaboration between labs. Depending on progress, further funding and time may be available to optimize the sensor with alternating time spent in the Chen and Hansel labs.

Overall, the tasks for the hire will be:

In collaboration with experts in FET sensing technology, create a hydrogen peroxide FET sensor that is sensitive to hydrogen peroxide under ocean conditions (pH, salinity, counter ions).

Optimize the sensitivity and specificity of the sensor under a range of ocean conditions, modifying nanomaterials as needed.

Troubleshoot chemical and electrochemical issues

Package the FET sensor, alongside data acquisition components, for underwater operation (with a focus first on deployments