Opportunity at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Combining Theory, Simulation, Machine Learning, and Autonomous Experiments for Industrial Formulation Discovery

Location

Material Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division

RO# Location
50.64.21.C0584 Gaithersburg, MD

Please note: This Agency only participates in the February and August reviews.

Advisers
name email phone
Martin, Tyler Biron tyler.martin@nist.gov 301-975-8866
Description

Complex liquid mixtures are the foundation of industries ranging from personal care products to biotherapeutics to specialty chemicals. While neutron and X-ray scattering methods are workhorse techniques for characterizing model formulations, the large number of components in many real products makes mapping the high-dimensional parameter space challenging due to the sheer number of possible compositions. To enable rational design of these materials, we have developed a highly adaptable sample environment that can be programmed to autonomously prepare and characterize liquid-formulations using neutron and X-ray scattering. Using this automated platform, we hope to explore the complex nature of molecular interactions that determine rheology, morphology, and efficacy in performance for surfactants, polymers, nanoparticles, and biotherapeutics. We seek to extend this platform with new measurement modalities and to develop active learning methods that leverage theory, simulation, and machine learning (ML) tools to greatly reduce the expense of creating phase diagrams and mapping formulation stability.

[1] Nature Communications volume 11, Article number: 5966 (2020)

Keywords:

Machine Learning; Small-Angle Scattering; Theory; Simulation; Surfactant; Nanoparticle; Polymer;

Eligibility

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants

Stipend
Base Stipend Travel Allotment Supplementation
$74,950.00 $3,000.00