Doctoral Project Opportunity - An Organoid Co-Culture System as a Model for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Your Job:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is driven by diffuse astroglial and neuronal injury followed by secondary injury cascades of cellular toxicity, inflammation, and aggregation of toxic proteins. However, the complex interplay of glial cells remains to be elucidated in both trauma and regeneration. Our current mechanistic understanding of TBI in in vitro models has been primarily derived from two-dimensional models. Nevertheless, the in vivo situation is much more complex and warrants 3D impact platforms, addressing the spatiotemporal details of cellular injury strains on human interconnected neuronal-astroglial networks. Using 3D brain organoids incorporating microglia (INM-3) combined with fast forming, simplified neural co-culture systems (IBI-2), the doctoral researcher will use both systems to apply defined strain and compression signals simulating TBI.

We are looking for a doctoral researcher who will:

• generate cerebral organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), incorporate microglia consecutively
  
• grow organoids on (i) soft silicone cushions or (ii) in agarose within a tissue stretching/compression system, respectively, to compress them within defined parameters, simulating TBI in vitro
  
• assess cultures for key functions including cell survival, cell proliferation, neuronal functionality (Ca2+ imaging), and TBI biomarkers
  
• compare organoid cultures with neuronal-astroglial co-cultures grown on microstructured elastomeric substrates allowing the development of functional neuronal network clusters and single cell read-outs
  
• assess the effects of a therapeutic pharmacological intervention in this TBI model in vitro using the read-outs listed above
  

Practical work will take place at Forschungszentrum Jülich and University Hospital of Cologne (mobility between those institutions is required).

Your Profile:

• Expertise in cell culture and light microscopy
  
• Experience in interdisciplinary work
  
• Knowledge in image processing and statistical data evaluation
  
• Medical, mechanobiological, or biological background required
  
• Strong motivation for pursuing a doctoral degree within four years in an ambitious but rewarding interdisciplinary project related to neuroscience and mechanobiology
  
• Willingness to commute between Jülich and Cologne

Our Offer:

We offer ideal conditions for you to work on a doctoral project at the leading edge of science, including:

• Excellent scientific and technical infrastructure
  
• Continuous supervision by a team of experts
  
• A vibrant international work environment on an attractive research campus, ideally situated between the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Aachen
  
• Further development of your personal strengths, e.g. through an extensive range of training courses; a structured program of continuing education and networking opportunities specifically for doctoral researchers via JuDocS, the Jülich Center for Doctoral Researchers and Supervisors: https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/judocs
  
• Extensive company health management, as well as social security and health insurance
  
• 30 days of annual leave and provision for days off between public holidays and weekends (e.g. between Christmas and New Year)
  
• Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service
  

In addition to exciting tasks and a collaborative working atmosphere at Jülich and University Hospital of Cologne, we have a lot more to offer: https://go.fzj.de/benefits

The PhD position is fixed for a term of 4 years. Pay in line with the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TvÖD-Bund).

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us.

For this program it is mandatory to use and upload our CV template: https://go.fzj.de/collaborative-doctoral-projects