The Laboratory of Computational Chemistry and Biochemistry of the 
University of Bern, Switzerland, is offering ONE Ph.D. studentship 
in the field of multiscale molecular dynamics simulations. 

The research project will involve the study of the fate of viruses 
interacting with surfaces, and it will be carried on in direct 
collaboration with experimental groups at both the Swiss Federal 
Institute of Technology in Zuerich (ETHZ) and the Ecole Polytechnique
Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). 
In particular, the project will aim at identifying specific virus/surface
interactions able to inactivate viruses by either physical (unfolding) or
chemical damaging (oxidation) of their molecular structure. 
The computational work will comprise all-atom molecular dynamics 
simulations (both classical and hybrid QM/MM) of portions of the capsid 
at different surfaces, coarse grained (CG) models of full viruses, and 
hybrid all-atom/CG simulations of viruses at surfaces. The work will also 
imply the development of new methodologies in multiscale modeling, useful
for addressing specific challenges posed by the presented research line.  


The Ph.D. student will have the opportunity to team-work with a senior 
researcher, also involved in the project, as well as with the 
experimentalists collaborating to it. 
Highly motivated candidates, able to develop independent thinking, having
a background in computational chemistry, statistical mechanics, molecular
dynamics simulations (classical and/or ab-initio) or coarse grained 
modeling are welcomed to apply. 

The post is available as soon as possible.
Yearly salary range: ~42.000 CHF.

Both the research project and the Ph.D. salary are funded by 
the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Interested candidates should email to Prof. Michele Cascella: 
michele.cascella _ iac.unibe.ch, providing their CV and the name of at least
one reference person.