Postdoctoral Researcher – automated & organoid-based skeletal Tissue Engineering

(ref. BAP-2021-755)

Laatst aangepast : 18/10/2021

The Skeletal Biology & Engineering Research Center (SBE) and Prometheus, the Skeletal Tissue Engineering Division of Leuven R&D, has a vacancy for a postdoctoral position in the context of an ongoing EU-H2020 project (Jointpromise: http://www.jointpromise.eu/). The Tissue Engineering research group focuses on the development of technologies related to the development of skeletal implants for defect regeneration (bone & osteochondral defects) and their manufacturing. The Tissue Engineering group is highly interdisciplinary (biologists, engineers, material scientists and clinicians…) with researchers from all over the world generating a dynamic working environment.

Responsibilities

In this project, the engineering of zonated organoid-based implants for osteochondral defect regeneration is foreseen. Candidates with a cell biology background (particularly regenerative medicine, organoids, iPSCs, MSCs), interested in turning engineers and expand their skills in automated end-to-end biomanufacturing of organoid-based implants for osteochondral defect regeneration are welcome to apply. This is a genuinely multidisciplinary EU project at KU Leuven aiming to make an impact and translate Tissue Engineered implants into predictively functioning living products (ATMPs), paving the way for clinical application. The first phase of this project aims to employ novel bioreactors developed by an industrial partner for skeletal spheroid culture and chondrogenic differentiation. Subsequently, an entire automated platform integrating bioreactors with robotics and bioprinting will be setup to allow culture of higher number of spheroids with minimal manipulation. Your tasks will involve:

• Culture and characterization of stem cell derived cartilaginous spheroids.
• Set up and operation of automation devices (e.g. liquid handling systems).
• Scale-up of tissue implants and interfacing with the preclinical validation team.
• Management of workflow in the Jointpromise EU-H2020 consortium. 

Profile

Are you an energetic hands-on person, able toboth think critically and creatively in scientific terms while also beingeffective at overcoming technical challenges? Are you keen on working at thecrossroads of several disciplines (from engineering to biology or vice versa)? Doyou like to contribute to a project that can create impact to patients? Haveyou demonstrated the capacity of publishing original research works? Then youmay be the perfect candidate to join our team.

The ideal candidate will already possess several of the following skills:

• Expert knowledge in skeletal biology OR prior expertise with other organoid types (other biological systems)
• Robust experience in technology devices such as for bioprinting or dynamic culturing of cells in bioreactors, microfluidics etc. 
• Applied knowledge of mammalian cell culture (MSCs, iPSCs) and molecular cell biology techniques (histology, qPCR, FACS).
• Experience with imaging technologies and basic image analysis (fluorescent microscope, confocal; ImageJ, ilastik...).
• -omics data analysis, basic level 

Offer

• We offer a full-time Postdoc position for 1 year. After positive evaluation, the contract can be extended to 2 additional years (3 years in total).
• State of the art research infrastructure. 
• Member of an EU - H2020 consortium with leading Academic and Industrial partners.
• High level scientific training at a top-ranked university.
• Excellent guidance by our dynamic and multidisciplinary team
• Being part of a world-class University and Research group
• Remuneration according to the KU Leuven salary scales (https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd).

Interested?

For more information concerning the position and the overall structure of the group, please contact Prof. dr. Ioannis Papantoniou, mail: [email protected] or Mrs. Eline Peeters, tel.: +32 16 37 93 70, mail: [email protected].

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [email protected].