The project
Zero Gravity Works, together with the Politecnico di Milano (Department of Mechanical Engineering), is recruiting a doctoral researcher to help design the hardware that will let us manufacture pharmaceuticals in orbit.
We are a Milan-based deep-tech company working in the emerging field of in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing — a frontier being opened by pioneers such as Varda Space Industries (US) and BioOrbit (UK). Our focus is microgravity-driven crystallisation: in low Earth orbit, the absence of gravity-driven convection and sedimentation enables crystals of higher purity, uniformity and lattice quality than those grown on Earth, and access to drug polymorphs that are difficult or impossible to stabilise under terrestrial conditions — with potential benefits for solubility, bioavailability and shelf life. Our mission is to move this from isolated experiments to a repeatable, autonomous production capability.
This 3-year position sits at the centre of that effort. You will join Prof. Francesco Braghin's Mechatronics and Robotics group and work in constant interaction with Prof. Braghin and directly with the CEO and CSO of Zero Gravity Works to design and engineer a compact, autonomous "black-box" microfactory that runs the full crystallisation cycle in orbit, from a ground demonstrator through to an orbital validator.
Responsibilities
- Review and build on the prior literature in microgravity crystallisation and pharmaceutical solid-state science to ground the design choices.
- Build high-fidelity CFD models of crystallisation in microgravity (capillarity, surface tension, thermal gradients, phase-interface effects) and develop a predictive digital twin of the process.
- Design and prototype the integrated fluidic platform: microfluidic manifolds, high-precision peristaltic pumping, thermally controlled crystallisation chambers, piezoelectric transducers for bubble and precipitate management, and membrane-based, gravity-independent solid–liquid separation.
- Develop the autonomous-control stack — near-infrared reflectometry, computer vision and lightweight edge AI — to detect nucleation, track crystal morphology, and trigger closed-loop thermal corrections.
- Take the system from laboratory prototype toward flight readiness through hardware-in-the-loop testing, drop-tower or neutral-buoyancy experiments, vibration testing and thermal-vacuum qualification.
- Collaborate closely with Prof. Braghin, the Zero Gravity Works team, and academic, pharmaceutical and space-sector partners on API selection, mission requirements and environmental qualification.
Qualifications
- Master's degree (completed or near completion) in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, Physics, or a closely related field.
- Strong foundation in fluid dynamics and CFD; working knowledge of one or more of: control systems, embedded/edge computing, microfluidics, sensor integration, machine learning or computer vision.
- A hands-on, experimental mindset and genuine comfort working across discipline boundaries.
- Interest in space hardware and/or pharmaceutical process engineering.
- Eligibility for PhD admission at the Politecnico di Milano under the official 42nd-cycle call.
- Good written and spoken English.
What we offer
- Fully-funded 3-year PhD scholarship: €1,750 net per month (max 36 months).
- Scholarship increase of approx. €875/month for research periods abroad (up to 6 months).
- Dedicated training, conference and materials budget (€7,134.75).
- The chance to work at the frontier of in-space manufacturing, on hardware designed to reach orbit, in close contact with the founding team of a young deep-tech company — with a potential path, for an outstanding researcher, to joining Zero Gravity Works.
How to apply
The position is offered under the official 42nd-cycle call (second call) of the Politecnico di Milano PhD programme — research topic: "Autonomous space-based manufacturing of high-value pharmaceuticals via microgravity-driven crystallization".
Applications must be submitted exclusively online through Politecnico di Milano's admission services — emailing the supervisor is not part of the procedure. The official and authoritative description of the position, including the current application deadline, is on the Politecnico di Milano call page.
For questions about the research project, you may contact Prof. Francesco Braghin (francesco.braghin@polimi.it); for questions about the scholarship and admission procedure, phd-dmec@polimi.it.
