In a collaboration between the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting (CMF) and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, we combine cutting-edge femtosecond laser technologies with novel molecular fingerprinting techniques to advance a new type of mid-infrared spectroscopy on the electric-field level. The consortium of a highly interdisciplinary team of laser physicists, data scientists, molecular biologists, and clinical personnel are focusing on demonstrating how state-of-the-art laser-based field-resolved infrared spectroscopy (FRS) can be utilized for health monitoring and disease detection (Pupeza, Huber et al., Nature 577(7788), 2020).

We are seeking candidates interested in the development and implementation of microfluidic platforms that enable spatio-temporal control of microfluidic-chamber/cuvette flow-through systems (microfluidic chips) and its integration with laser-based field-resolved spectroscopy. This will allow infrared spectroscopy to be effectively applied to specimens in aqueous environments or liquids to obtain label-free chemical information about the sample for the investigation of cells as well as human blood-based bioliquids. The goal is to support and further develop the following three projects:

• Infrared fingerprinting of human blood-based bioliquids for disease detection;
• Coupling of liquid chromatography to infrared spectroscopy to increase the specificity of the above-mentioned application;
• High-throughput infrared measurements of cells (i.e. label-free flow-cytometry).

The workplace is at the Laboratory for Extreme Photonics (LEX Photonics) of the LMU at the research campus Garching, north of Munich. The professional will work in a highly international and interdisciplinary team in direct collaboration with laser scientists, engineers, developing the next generation laser-based infrared spectrometers, as well as the molecular scientists providing the biological samples.