PhD on Engineering Collagen Architecture

Collagen fibers are ubiquitous in many connective tissues giving them their unique mechanical properties necessary for the tissues to function properly. In tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, the development of a proper collagen architecture is key to whether the tissue will function properly and not eventually breakdown. Such is the case in articular cartilage, where the collagen fibers extend millimeters from the underlying bone to bend over to lay flat on the articular surface forming the unique Benninghof arcade architecture. However, the mechanism responsible for the formation of these arcades has never been demonstrated nor replicated in tissue engineered cartilage although its importance to tissue function and longevity is well accepted.

In this PhD research, which is part of the Dutch Gravitation program Materials Driven Research, we will exploit our recently developed cartilage organoids, produced from human chondrocytes or progenitor cells, to grow thick hyaline cartilage. This tissue growth process will be perturbed in an in vitro culture system to create varying collagen fiber architectures to understand how this could be influenced by the physical-chemical environment during tissue growth. Finally, smart biomaterials will be used to create unique tissue growth environments to guide the formation of the desired collagen architectures and applied in ex vivo osteochondral explant bioreactor systems to simulate in situ cartilage regeneration. In addition to molecular biological, biochemical, histological assessment methods, advanced microscopic methods will be used to visualize the collagen architecture. Furthermore, functional assessment of cartilage mechanical properties will be an essential element.

The PhD candidate will contribute to a multi-disciplinary team of biomedical engineers and scientists, molecular biologists and orthopaedic surgeons, from the student to senior level. An educational and professional development program is offered to all PhD candidates. You will also be involved in teaching courses, as well as contribute to the supervision of bachelor and master students. Based on your research, you will be expected to present at conferences, publish in scientific journals and write a doctoral dissertation.

Embedding

The research will be mainly conducted within the Orthopaedic Biomechanics (OPB) group which cover diverse topics in bone, intervertebral disc and tendons/ligaments, as well as articular cartilage. The group is well known for their multidisciplinary approach combining tissue mechanics, mechanobiology, and biomaterial mechanics. They utilize, in vitro, ex vivo and computational models to understand tissue conditions in disease and for regenerative engineering, operating at the international forefront of engineering of living, load-bearing tissues.

The OPB group is part of the Regenerative Materials and Engineering cluster of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The department offers Bachelors and Masters education programs who are integrally linked to its research areas ranging across Chemical Biology, Biosensing, Biomaterials, Biomechanics Tissue Engineering, Computational Biology, Biomedical Imaging and Modelling, with 800+ students and 200+ academic staff. The university is open and inclusive with short communication lines. The people are curious, collaborative, and strive for excellence in research and education at an internationally renowned level. Our lively campus community facilitates connections between staff and students, in an open, friendly, vibrant atmosphere that welcomes and inspires.