At the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine of Maastricht University, Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering (IBE), we currently have a vacancy for a PhD candidate with knowledge and expertise in biomaterials and biomaterials-driven tissue regeneration fields as part of the Materials-Driven Regeneration (MDR) program.

The current approach for designing new biomaterials follows a strategy of “one size/type fits all”. However, with increasing demand for patient-specific, personalized medicine, the need for “precision biomaterials” that are designed to satisfy the personal needs of patients has also been highlighted. In this PhD project, we aim to develop the next generation of precision biomaterials for applications in tissue regeneration by employing an engineering approach to control the biomaterials properties at different length-scales, for example at nanometer-scale by engineering the biomaterials’ chemical composition and at micron-scale by engineering their topology. The project aims to engineer a library of tailored biomaterials, to unravel the role of the materials’ properties in inducing specific biological responses and to ultimately be used as advanced functionalized precision biomaterials for specific tissue regeneration applications. The biomaterials shall in the first instance be developed for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues and tissue interfaces. However, throughout the project, the use of the precision biomaterials for the regeneration of other tissues may also be explored.

Your profile:

You should have a master degree in biomedical engineering with high affinity towards biomaterials. Candidates from related disciplines such as materials engineering/science or chemical engineering with a major in the above-mentioned field(s) are also welcome to apply. Interest and hands-on experience (e.g. through a master thesis) in the fields of biomaterials engineering (synthesis or functionalization, characterization and processing), tissue regeneration and (micro)fabrication are essential for successful conduction of the PhD project. Experience with data science approaches including big data analysis and with working in a microtechnology clean room is a plus. Good command of scientific English in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing is indispensable.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

We offer a full-time temporary contract for a period of 4 years (initially 1 year, which will be extended for another 3 years after a positive evaluation at the end of the first year).

Your salary would be € 2.395,- gross per month in the first year up to € 3.061,- gross per month in the fourth year according to the PhD-candidate salary scale. An 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance is also provided. Each year an evaluation will take place.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 20,000 students and 4,700 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.

About the MERLN Institute and MDR program:

The researcher will be embedded in the Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering (IBE) at the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine at Maastricht University. The research at MERLN (https://merlninstitute.com/) is focused on developing novel and breakthrough technologies to advance the field of repair and regeneration of functional tissues and organs. The research at IBE department (https://merlninstitute.com/discover-merln/departments-and-groups/ibe-department) focuses on the development of regenerative therapies based on smart biomaterials and their complexes with cells and molecular cues, and on micro- and nanotechnology tools for regenerative medicine.

At MERLN, we offer an interdisciplinary and collaborative PhD project embedded into a highly international institute, which is one of the worldwide leading research institutions in the tissue regeneration field. Our modern laboratories include labs for materials synthesis and characterization, biofabrication/-printing, (clean room) micro-/nanofabrication, microfluidics, cell culture, histology, molecular biology, imaging/microscopy, all provided with latest-state-of-the-art equipment.

The Research Center for MDR (https://mdrresearch.nl/) is a partnership between Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University and Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute. This consortium was brought together to advance tissue and organ regeneration approaches with the use of instructive biomaterials and funded by the ministry of education, culture and science of The Netherlands in the framework of the Gravitation program. The interdisciplinary team of researchers within the MDR consortium aims to focus on the research and development of new, intelligent materials that stimulate the regeneration of damaged or diseased tissues and organs.