Magnetic responsive materials for untethered robotic function
Pubblicato il 12-08-2026 - University of Mons in Italia
Organisation/Company Laboratorio Europeo Di Spettroscopie Non Lineari (lens.unifi.it) Research Field Chemistry Engineering Technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 31 Aug 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 Offer Starting Date 15 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number EU HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01-01 # Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
This project takes place within the Marie Curie Doctoral Network on Soft Active Matter Microrobots for Medicine (SAM3). This doctoral network of 12 PhD candidates aims at exploring the ear-nose-throat area from a microrobotics perspective. Thanks to active matter and small scale microrobotics engineering, three specific goals are targeted: (1) access the middle ear through the Eustachian tube; (2) access the olfactory clefts for mucosal biopsy; (3)
access the skull cavity through the nose and the cribble plate for cerebrospinal fluid biopsy.
This specific PhD proposal on Magnetic responsive materials for untethered robotic function is part of the third endoscopic area namely the cerebrospinal fluid system. The goal of the PhD is to develop 3D-printable magnetic responsive materials based on thermally responsive shape-changing Liquid Crystalline Networks (LCNs) doped with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) allowing the development of untethered robotic function. Combining 3D patterning by photolithographic techniques with different nanoparticle responsive behaviors to alternate or static magnetic fields, micrometric actuators capable of both navigation and gripping will be realized.
We are seeking talented and enthusiastic students to perform a PhD, with a solid background in polymer chemistry and technology, magnetic nanoparticle synthesis or 3D printing of smart materials. He/