AMBER Postdoctoral Fellowship: PRISM: Platform for Robotic Imaging and Synchrotron Microscopy

EMBL is Europe’s life sciences laboratory – an intergovernmental organisation with more than 110 independent research groups and service teams covering the spectrum of molecular biology. It operates across six sites in Heidelberg (headquarters), Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg and Rome. Our mission is to perform basic research in molecular biology; train scientists, students and visitors at all levels; offer vital services to scientists in the public and private sectors within the member states; develop new instruments and methods; and engage actively in technology transfer.

This post-doctoral position is part of the EU cofund research project AMBER, Advanced Multiscale Biological imaging using European Research infrastructures, will address scientific and sectoral gaps in biological imaging ranging from molecular, through cellular, to tissue, organ and organism levels of organisation, and is coordinated by LINXS Institute of advanced Neutron and X-ray Science.

AMBER is funded by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) COFUND scheme.
Around 8 postdocs will be recruited in the Final call with each fellowship lasting 36 months.

AMBER has six core partners: Lund University/MAX IV, Sweden, the European Spallation Source (ESS), Sweden, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), France, the International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines, (IMOL), Poland, and the Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology, United Kingdom.

Your work may include clinical and biomedical projects. It may also include technique development work aimed at combining imaging techniques and data analysis to provide a more integrated picture of life processes in the context of health and disease. To be a postdoc fellow at the AMBER programme you will get unprecedented medical, biological, and methodological capabilities, with a profound potential impact for Europe’s next generation of research and researchers. When you have completed the AMBER programme you will be extraordinarily well equipped to further your career in academia, at infrastructures, in the health and MedTech sectors, and beyond.

For more information about the total announced post-doctoral positions within in the AMBER co-fund project please visit https://www.euraxess.se/jobs/437869

The interviews will start in October/November 2026. For more information about AMBER, application and evaluation process etc please visit: ambercofund.eu

Your role

ID30B, a jointly operated ESRF-EMBL beamline, is a high-throughput, fully automated macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamline that will soon be equipped with new instrumentation to extend its capabilities toward X-ray microscopy applications. The upgraded S-TOMCAT and I-TOMCAT beamlines at the Swiss Light Source provide an ideal environment for high-resolution X-ray tomographic microscopy. These beamlines offer stable, high-flux imaging with submicron resolution, well suited to biological samples.

PRISM (Platform for Robotic Imaging and Synchrotron Microscopy) builds on this foundation by placing precision robotisation at the centre of new, fully automated imaging workflows. The core of the project is the adaptation of the existing Flex robotic sample-changing system (Papp et al., 2017)—originally developed for MX applications—for the handling of X-ray microscopy samples. This approach replaces manual intervention with a reliable, continuous, and reproducible pipeline.

Development of the new sample changer system will take place at EMBL Grenoble, followed by commissioning at the ESRF ID30B beamline. The successful candidate will join the Papp Team (https://www.embl.org/groups/papp/) and collaborate closely with the CAD, mechatronics and software engineers of the group. The commissioning and deployment of the system at ID30B will be supported by the McCarthy Team (https://www.embl.org/groups/mccarthy/) and ESRF colleagues. A finalised setup will then be installed at the PSI I-TOMCAT beamline, headed by Marco Stampanoni, in collaboration with ARINAX. Biological specimens can thus be automatically loaded, positioned, and exchanged, ensuring consistent imaging conditions and enabling long, unattended acquisition sequences essential for large-scale studies. This robust automation significantly increases throughput while reducing errors and variability.

Artificial intelligence within PRISM complements this robotic backbone and will evolve progressively in sophistication. Initially, AI will support tasks such as monitoring data quality and flagging potential anomalies during acquisition. As the project advances, more exploratory applications will be developed, including intelligent feature detection to trigger adaptive tuning of experimental parameters, as well as increasingly autonomous optimisation of scanning strategies. These forward-looking capabilities build upon the strong, reproducible framework established by robotisation, enhancing PRISM’s performance without compromising reliability.

By combining high-performance beamlines with robust automation and progressively evolving intelligent tools, PRISM will transform X-ray tomography into an accessible, high-throughput, and future-ready platform for the life sciences, enabling studies at a scale and consistency previously unattainable.

You have 

• a maximum 8 years after a doctoral degree (PhD), as required by the project Grant Agreement signed with the European Commission,
• at least one original publication in a peer-reviewed journal,
• a background in the relevant methods,
• a complete application package submitted through the AMBER portal (including CV and detailed research plan), and finally, 
• strict compliance with the MSCA mobility rule that the researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host organisation's country for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the call deadline.

Contract length: 3 years

Instructions on how to apply
For more information and documents/templates/europass link, please visit https://www.ambercofund.eu/for-applicants
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure that you upload all the required documents specified below i-ix.
If you are interested in applying for more than one position (maximum 3) you must be prepared to make a full application for each individual position.
Applications shall be written in English and all documents shall be in pdf format.

i) A Curriculum Vitae (europass format). Your CV shall be exported to a PDF file that you use in your application.
ii) A detailed research plan including any foreseen secondments (candidates can suggest more than the mandated one, they can also suggest their own secondments), schools and conferences as well as a templated budget plan. The research plan should be as concise as possible, 3 pages, including one-third page of summary/abstract. 

Additional texts to include in the PDF are:
iii) Letter of Commitment from any additional secondment partners the candidate wishes to bring
onboard.
iv) Evidence of English proficiency (minimum CEFR B22, also checked at interview).
v) A draft Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP).
vi) Two reference letters.
vii) Any additional documents to support the application, for example PhD certificate/diploma, PhD upcoming defense date
viii) Ethical questionnaire (HE ethics checklist + research ethics commitment) 

In addition, the application will require:
ix) Any candidate can apply for maximum of 3 positions. You must apply for each individual position. A list with order of preference of positions should be sent to the AMBER management. amber@linxs.se 

Professional development support

The EMBL Fellows’ Career Service provides support and guidance to predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows across all six EMBL’s sites.

Working with a dedicated Careers Advisor, this invaluable service will help you to take informed decisions about your career planning both in the short and longer term. Whether your main interest is pursuing a career path in academia, exploring opportunities in industry or exploring an independent venture, the EMBL Fellows’ Career Service with provide you with a portfolio of activities and resources to help you.

To find out more please visit - EMBL-fellows-career-service

Why join us

Enjoy lots of employee benefits:

• Financial incentives: Monthly family and child allowances, generous stipend reviewed yearly, pension scheme, death benefit and unemployment insurances

• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working patterns 

• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family 

• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year in addition to public holidays

• Campus life: Free shuttle bus (Heidelberg), on-site library, subsidised on-site cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)

• Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, paid maternity & parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
   

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants. 

• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

• Job location: All our fellowships are based on-site (for at least part of each week). If you are living overseas, you will receive a generous relocation package to support you. 

• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here

• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date