Postdoctoral Position in Raman-based Detection of Micro- and Nanoplastics (MNP)

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• Establishment of a workflow for the detection, identification and quantification of MNPs by spontaneous Raman microspectroscopy, starting with dialysis fluids (dialysate) with and without patient contact as a comparatively simple matrix. Method development includes sample preparation, filtration and particle deposition on suitable substrates, automated particle detection, spectral identification and a rigorous QA/QC concept (e.g., procedural blanks, recovery experiments with reference particles). Where useful, the spontaneous Raman workflow may be benchmarked against complementary techniques such as stimulated Raman scattering or optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy, in collaboration with partners at other research institutes (e.g., ScopeM at ETH Zurich).
• Stepwise extension of the analytical pipeline to more complex matrices, in particular blood (e.g., plasma and whole blood) and possibly kidney tissue sections, including the development of suitable digestion or clean-up procedures compatible with subsequent Raman analysis.

• We are looking for a highly motivated candidate holding a PhD in (analytical) chemistry, physics, materials science, environmental sciences, biomedical engineering or a related field. Hands-on experience with Raman microspectroscopy (or closely related vibrational spectroscopy techniques) is essential, and experience with the analysis of small particles in complex matrices, with sample preparation of biological samples, or with automated microscopy and spectral data processing (e.g., using Python or R) is a strong asset.
• Moreover, demonstrable communication skills in English (and ideally also German) and the willingness and ability to work at the interface between environmental analytical research and clinical medicine are essential.
• The successful candidate will be supervised by PD Dr. med. Fabienne Aregger (Inselspital / University of Bern) and Dr. Ralf Kaegi (Eawag) and will be hosted in the Particle Laboratory at Eawag in Dübendorf. The Particle Laboratory is operated jointly by Eawag, Empa and Agroscope and pools the expertise and instrumentation of the three institutes for the analysis of particulate contaminants in diverse matrices; it provides access to a new, state-of-the-art Raman microscope (available from early 2027) as well as FT-IR microscopes and fully automated optical and scanning electron microscopy systems.

Salary follows the regulations of the University of Bern and the Swiss National Science Foundation.