1. Job position:
Researchers participating in ‘Development of an ecological risk assessment technology for river and lake water management in Korea based on indigenous species’ (towards a PhD degree in Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University)
Description:
A vast number of emerging contaminants appeared in freshwater recently. The traditional physicochemical methods are already too difficult and time/cost-consuming to detect these pollutants and assess their toxic effect. It is essential to develop rapid, user-friendly, and cost-effective water quality assessment method(s). We are looking for a different type of solution. In-vitro bioassays and biomonitoring based on fluorescent sensors would be good alternative approaches for aquatic ecotoxicity assessment.
In fluorescence detection, the use of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorogen is now expanding rapidly due to its simple design strategy; the AIE methods have been applied in many areas including electroluminescence, mechanochromsism, chiral recognition, and ionic sensing, and so on (Chem. Soc. Rev., 2020,49, 1144-1172). AIE luminogens (AIEgens) are nonluminescent when molecularly dissolved in solution but become highly fluorescent when aggregated as triggered by the recognition of detection of species.
This opens up a chance of using the AIEgen for real-time biomonitoring of the accumulation and toxicity of these metal ions and their nanoparticles. In this study, the researcher(/phd candidate) will develop AIEgens for in vivo bioimaging; then study the feasibility of using these newly designed AIE-sensors to assess the toxicity of the ionic metals and nanoparticles in aquatic environments as well as investigate the toxicokinetics; and further integrate the AIE-based method with Duckweed bioassay (has been developed by the project team) into a new ecotoxicity test method. Overall, the findings of this study are expected to pave a new avenue for in vitro bioassay for the health of the water environment system.
2. Duties and Responsibilities:
- Main Task: Development of aquatic biological assessment techniques by using aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based sensor(s).
- Other project-related works: Field Investigation and research; Writing research papers and reports; Supports to Principal Investigator and co-Investigators for the project management.
3. Number of available positions: 1
4. Eligibility of Applicants:
- Education level: Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering/Technology, Applied Chemistry, Aquatic toxicology, and other relevant majors
- Age: No limit (preference < 35)
- Gender: Regardless of gender
- Language: Working fluency in English (Korean skill is not compulsory but an extra points)
5. Preference criterion:
Persons with bright characteristics, intensive research experience in the relevant fields (specially for the Aggregation-Induced Emission technology, supramolecular chemistry and/or fluorescence experiments), and a goal to complete PhD degree
6. Working Conditions:
- Working type: Full-time researchers participating in the Technology Development Project (for 1 year contract with the earliest starting time from Mar 2023; and the contract is renewable annually upon the performance)
- Gross salary: 3 million Korean Won per month(tax included)
- Location: Ghent University Global Campus, 119-5, Songdomunhwa-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea
7. Guidance for application period/ Procedure:
- Application period: From Feb. 05, 2023 To Mar. 05, 2023 until 18:00
- Required to submit documents: Download the attached application form, fill out the forms and mail them to the address below
- Application form [Attachment 1]
- Agreement on the Collection and Use of Personal Information [Attachment 2]
- How to Apply: By E-mail reception, please send email to Hojun.Lee@ugent.be (Direct visits or post not available), please name the E-mail title as KEITI-AIE-Your Name.
8. Other inquiries: Hojun.Lee@ugent.be