Postdoc opportunity within single molecule fluorescence imaging funded by Villum fonden.
We seek a postdoc candidate with experience in experimental biophysics to join the single molecule biophysics and chemistry group at iNANO/Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University.

The postdoc position is fix-termed for 24 months with a start 01st of April 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.


Job description/research project/research area

The project is centered on single molecule fluorescence investigations of how biomolecules fold and interact in space and time with focus on obtaining biomolecular dynamics information.

As a postdoc, you will contribute to the development of single molecule fluorescence real-time imaging methodologies using both experimental approaches, involving model nucleic acids, proteins and DNA origami constructs, and computational procedures for data analysis.

The project is a collaboration between the single molecule biophysics and chemistry group at iNANO/Department of Chemistry, and the group of Prof. Hobolth at the Department of Mathematics. A second postdoc with expertise in stochastic processes and statistical methods will be part of the project and you are expected to interact and collaborate to develop robust ways to decode single molecule imaging data.  


Your profile

The candidate should hold a PhD in biophysics, chemistry, nanoscience or related subjects and have a strong background in experimental biophysics and preferably hands-on experience in single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy experiments and advanced computational based data analysis.
The candidate should enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment both independently as well as in a team.
 

Who we are

iNANO, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (www.inano.dk), was established in 2002 and at present is a major research and education center based at Aarhus University hosting 60 senior scientists, ~100 postdocs and ~160 PhD students. The center combines expertise from the disciplines including physics, chemistry, molecular biology and medicine to carry out world class interdisciplinary research in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The center gives access to a broad range of infrastructure, tools and expertise.

The Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University is a leading European chemistry department with a broad research portfolio. It is undertaking a restructuring and will have a permanent staff of 43 full, associate and assistant professors, a support staff of ~40 technical and administrative staff, ~150 PhD-students and ~100 postdocs and around 350 students. In addition to excellence in research, teaching and supervision, the Department of Chemistry values equal opportunities, a collegial atmosphere, and a student-friendly mindset of future colleagues.


Place of work

The place of work is Gustav Wieds vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, and the Department of Chemistry and iNANO center, Aarhus University as well as related departments.

As of 1 August 2026, iNANO’s educational and research activities will be transferred to the faculty’s departments. Consequently, your employment will as of that date be with a department.


Contact information

Further information about the position please contact Associate Professor Victoria Birkedal: vicb@inano.au.dk
 


Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.


Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk


Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

 


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/