PhD Candidate: Building Blocks to Polymerisation: The PRELIFE project offers an interdisciplinary PhD project exploring life’s origins, investigating how building blocks polymerize into molecular structures under simulated prebiotic conditions.
Title: FROM BUILDING BLOCKS TO POLYMERISATION ON WATER-RICH WORLDS, AN EXPERIMENTAL EXPLORATION
Designation: PhD Candidate
Table:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Science |
| Hours | 38 hours per week |
| Stipend | €2.901 – €3.707 per month (based on experience and full-time employment) |
| Closes on | 11-6-2025 |
Research Area: Prebiotic Chemistry, Polymerization, Origin of Life, Astrobiology, Geochemistry.
Location: University of Amsterdam, Netherlands (Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences)
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (preferably (bio)chemistry, geoscience, physics, or a related area).
- Affinity for laboratory experiments and chemical analysis.
- Ability to stay focused on complex tasks.
- Team player with initiative.
- Passion for quality research.
Description:
The PhD project will explore how planet- and space-born building blocks polymerize into molecular structures under simulated prebiotic conditions. The candidate will conduct experiments mimicking warm-little-pond environments, examining the effects of UV irradiation, dry-wet cycles, and rock-water interfaces. Custom laboratory setups will be designed and adapted, and samples will be analyzed using standard and advanced spectroscopy, analytical, and imaging techniques. The PhD candidate will publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to outreach activities.
Benefits:
- Gross monthly salary between €2.901 – € 3.707 (scale P), plus 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end allowance.
- 232 vacation hours per year.
- Opportunities for career development through training courses and open UvA lectures.
- Pension with ABP.
- Allowances and schemes.
- Support for relocating families.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should apply online through the provided application button, including:
- A motivation letter (max. 2 pages A4)
- CV, including a list of publications
- Contact details of at least two academic references
Last Date for Apply: June 10, 2025
