Water Is Part of the Machine

Near a protein, water is shaped by geometry, charge, chemistry, and motion. The question is how the collective dynamics of interfacial water contribute to protein function.

We are looking for two exceptional postdoctoral researchers with deep expertise in the physics or chemical physics of water. The work combines molecular simulation, statistical physics, and close contact with experiment.

Questions

• collective polarization and dielectric response;
• spatial and temporal correlations in hydration layers;
• hydrogen-bond dynamics at heterogeneous interfaces;
• relaxation and transport near proteins and membranes;
• coarse-grained and continuum theories rooted in molecular behavior;
• experimentally testable signatures of collective interfacial water.

The exact problem will be chosen with the candidate. The criterion is simple: identify a collective property of interfacial water that matters for protein function and tie it to a measurable effect.

Who should apply

I am particularly interested in candidates with a strong record of original work whose research has centered on the physics or chemical physics of water, especially interfacial, confined, or hydration water.

Relevant backgrounds include:

• molecular simulation and statistical mechanics of aqueous systems;
• dielectric relaxation, collective polarization, or hydrogen-bond networks;
• water at interfaces or under confinement;
• ultrafast, nonlinear, dielectric, or terahertz spectroscopy of water;
• hydration near proteins, peptides, membranes, polymers, or biomimetic surfaces.

The position is particularly suited to someone who can move between molecular detail and physical description: extracting collective behavior from simulation or experiment, identifying the relevant scales, and developing models that lead to testable predictions.

Experience with proteins or biological surfaces is valuable, but not essential. What matters is a strong physical understanding of water, technical depth, independence, and scientific judgment.

At UNIST

The work will be based in the Department of Physics at UNIST in Ulsan, South Korea, with direct contact across molecular simulation, protein science, and experiment.

The position offers a competitive salary and research support. The initial appointment is expected to be for two years, with the possibility of extension. The starting date is flexible.

How to apply

Please send a CV, a short research statement, one or two representative papers, and the names and contact information of two or three referees. The statement should describe the physical questions that have driven your work, your own contribution to them, and what you would like to understand next.

Applications should be sent to water@adaptivelivingmatter.org. Informal inquiries may be sent to tsvi@unist.ac.kr.

Posted 29 July 2026. Applications are reviewed until the position is filled.

The group

The group asks how matter becomes machinery: how proteins move and recognize, how water carries interactions, and how information becomes physical.