PhD position in micro- and nanoplastic research

Doctorat / PhD Type de contrat : TEMPORARY Date limite de candidature : 2026-11-30T23:59:59+01:00

Bio-based and biodegradable materials are promising alternatives to fossil-based plastics, but how safe and sustainable are they? In this interdisciplinary PhD project, you will connect analytical chemistry and toxicology to investigate how these future plastics break down, characterize the resulting micro- and nanoplastics and leachates, and assess their potential human health effects. Your findings will contribute directly to the Safe and Sustainable by Design of next-generation plastics. Your job In this PhD project, you will investigate whether new bio-based and degradable plastics are truly safe and sustainable alternatives to conventional fossil-based plastics. You will follow these materials throughout their entire degradation process: from changes in the original plastic to the formation and identification of micro- and nanoplastics and chemical leachates, and ultimately to their potential effects on human health. Your research will combine analytical chemistry, materials characterization and in vitro toxicology. You will: Investigate plastic degradation by exposing pristine polymers and plastic products to controlled food-contact and environmental conditions, studying changes in their chemical composition, physical properties and material integrity; Characterize polymer degradation products, including micro- and nanoplastics, dissolved compounds and leachates, using complementary analytical techniques such as infrared microspectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), AFM-IR, electron microscopy and mass spectrometry; Assess potential human health hazards of plastic materials and their degradation products using a tiered in vitro testing strategy, starting with screening for cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and endocrine activity; Investigate higher tier biological effects and mechanisms of toxicity using human-relevant cell models, including intestinal, liver, immune and neuronal systems, to study particle uptake, biological barrier integrity, inflammation, metabolism and neurotoxicity; Integrate chemical and toxicological findings to establish relationships between polymer composition, degradation behavior and biological effects, translating these insights into actionable recommendations for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). A unique aspect of this position is that you will work across two research environments at Utrecht University. You will spend roughly half of your time at the Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry (ISCC) and half at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS). Rather than conducting chemistry and toxicology as separate components, you will actively connect them: toxicological observations can trigger further chemical analysis, while insights into degradation and composition will guide toxicological experiments. In this way, you will serve as a scientific bridge between the two institutes. You will…