项目介绍

2023年12月21日

While research strategies involving organ-on-chip technology are increasingly being recognized for their potential to accelerate insights into a variety of physiological and pathological phenomena, multi-organ-on-chip devices to replicate organ-organ interactions are only beginning to be explored. Such systems provide an exciting avenue to investigate a plethora of signaling events, drug responses and otherwise under-explored interactions in a well-regulated manner providing justice to microenvironmental conditions. Fixation of the organoids involved followed by microscopy-based imaging complemented with biochemical assays provides end-stage insights into specific responses. This project aims to develop online technologies to address transient and more subtle responses as a function of organ-organ interaction. Various electrophysiology or ELISA-based technologies may be envisaged to elucidate such responses and are expected to elucidate organ-organ on-chip interaction at a physiologically relevant yet previously inaccessible time scale. This project will be based at the BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip group and you will extensively interact and collaborate with a PhD student at the Applied Stem Cell Technologies group who will generate stem cell-based organoids.

In this role, you will.

• generate home-manufactured microfluidic devices accommodating the co-culture of organoids to represent the physiological and anatomical interaction of organs.
• design, develop, fabricate and validate online in-microfluidic chip integrated sensors for detection of transient changes in secretory proteins and other signaling molecules using an ELISA-based sensor and use integrated sensors to detect the electrophysiological response.

YOUR PROFILE

We are seeking a highly driven individual, keen to push the boundaries of current technological and biological state-of-the-art looking to pursue an academic career as a PhD.

• You have a MSc degree in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, or associated field.
• You have a hands-on in-depth expertise in microfluidic chip design and fabrication.
• You have an interest in organ-on-chip development and applications.
• You are an eloquent and transparent communicator, keen to learn from others and share your insights with the team.
• You are not shying away from leaving the beaten track to push our research forward, view challenges as exciting opportunities, and are an out-of-the-box thinker.
• Proficiency in English is required, both spoken and written.
• You need to provide IELTS test results (minimum score 6.5) or TOEFL iBT (minimum score 90). The latter is not necessary for native speakers of English or whose MSc program was in English.

OUR OFFER

• As a PhD researcher at the University of Twente, you will be appointed to a fulltime position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating scientific environment;
• The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
• Salary and conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a salary ranging from around €2.770,- gross per month at the start to around €3.539,- in the fourth year; According to the MSCA DN scheme (see central)
• Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8.3% and a solid pension scheme;
• A training program in which you and your supervisor will make up a plan for additional suitable education and supervision;
• A personal development program within the Twente Graduate School
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other university staff.

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

Are you interested in this PhD position? Please submit your application before February 1, 2024, via the “Apply now” button below, including:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of motivation
• Grades of your BSc and MSc courses
• IELTS or TOEFL score (if required)
• Contact information of two references

For more information about this PhD position, you are welcome to contact prof. dr. Loes Segerink via l.i.segerink@utwente.nl.