PhD Student (f/m/d) | Engineering Crystallization and Precipitation Processes for Biopharmaceuticals Full-time NEW

PhD Student Engineering Crystallization and Precipitation Processes for Biopharmaceuticals

Join the newly established research group Phase Transition Engineering (Dr. Leif-Thore Deck) at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg, Germany. The position is to be filled as soon as possible and is limited to four years.

About the Group

We study how solids and other condensed phases form from fluids, from nucleation and crystal growth to protein aggregation and phase separation. We then turn this understanding into better processes. Our approach combines theory and modeling, droplet microfluidics and process-scale experiments, with a focus on pharmaceutically relevant biomolecules such as peptides and proteins.

The Project

Peptide drugs such as insulin or the new generation of GLP-1 agonists are among the fastest-growing classes of medicines. Manufacturing them is expensive, largely because purification relies on chromatography. Crystallization and precipitation could provide an alternative way to purify these molecules at a fraction of the cost. However, designing such processes is challenging, because the underlying phase transitions of biomolecules are complex and still poorly understood.

In this project, you will build and operate a liter-scale precipitation platform that covers the entire process chain, including the relevant downstream steps. Precipitation or crystallization is followed by solid–liquid separation by centrifugation and filtration, and re-dissolution. Image-based online monitoring of the particle size distribution will allow you to follow the process in real time and provide the data for process control and optimization. You will start with well-characterized model peptides and then move on to pharmaceutically relevant compounds. Your project is closely linked to two PhD projects that recently started in the group: one on multi-scale modeling of biomolecular phase transitions, and one on their characterization using droplet microfluidics. Together, the three projects bridge the scales from nanoliter droplets to liters, and from molecular mechanisms to process design.

Your Tasks

• Design, build and automate a liter-scale precipitation setup for peptides
• Integrate downstream steps and online process analytics
• Plan and carry out experimental campaigns to understand and optimize process performance
• Connect your process data with models and microfluidic measurements, together with your colleagues
• Publish your results in international journals and present them at conferences

Your Profile

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in chemical, bio- or process engineering, chemistry, physics or a related discipline, with above-average grades
• Enthusiasm for hands-on experimental work, including building and automating setups
• Curiosity about the fundamentals behind processes
• Team spirit and good communication skills
• Very good knowledge of English; basic proficiency in German would be a plus
• Experience in process design and control, process analytical technology, programming (e.g., Python) or handling biomolecules would be a plus.

We Offer

• The opportunity to shape a project and a new lab from the start, with close and regular supervision
• The infrastructure and resources of a Max Planck Institute
• An interdisciplinary, international team and a network with leading universities and industrial partners
• Funding to attend international conferences
• A four-year contract with salary according to TVöD (Bund), E13, 75%

The Max Planck Society is committed to equal opportunities, gender equality and diversity. What matters to us are your qualifications, professional strengths and attitude. We therefore welcome applications from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, cultural or social background, disability, religion, age, lifestyle, ideology, or sexual identity.