The PhD student will work in close collaboration with collaborators at the University of Twente where novel sealants will be developed, to enable extensive testing of these compounds for toxicity and functionality using multiple in vitro and ex vivo lung cell and tissue culturing techniques at the UMCG. The PhD student needs to be a biomedical scientist with some affinity for polymer chemistry, as well as possessing an intrinsic interest in lung physiology and the treatment of COPD patients. Within this project a wide range of lab techniques will be used, including (primary) human lung cell culture, (confocal) microscopy, lung tissue dissection and immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, ELISA and mechanical and adhesion testing.

- You have a Master’s degree in Molecular/Medical Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or equivalent.
- You are aware of, and can comply with, requirements for working within a confidential research collaboration.
- You can work in a multidisciplinary team, and manage communication with multiple players from different specialties.
- You have expertise with cell culture, preferably primary human lung cell culture models, experience with immunological, cell and molecular biological techniques such as RNA isolation, qPCR, FACS, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and you have a VMT certificate or proven skills in microbiology.
- You have excellent organizational, communication and interaction skills.
- Command of the English language in spoken and written word is mandatory.

The UMCG has a preventive Hepatitis B policy. The UMCG can provide you with the vaccination, should it be required for your position.
In case of specific professions a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ is required.

The PhD student position is for a duration of 4 years, with an initial contract of one year, followed by an extension, based on performance. Your salary will be a minimum of 3.017,- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of 3.824,- gross per month (scale PRO) in the final (4th) year, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, the UMCG will offer you 8% holiday pay, and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The conditions of employment comply with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC).

A look in the department:
You are welcome for a tour and further introductions, even if you do not want to write an application letter immediately. You can make an appointment for this with one of the contact persons below.

Pathologie & Medische Biologie

The PhD student will be working within the Department of Pathology & Medical Biology, in close collaboration with the department of Pulmonology of the University Medical Center Groningen and the Department of Developmental BioEngineering of the University of Twente. According to the World Health Organization, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. To date, no curative treatment options are available for COPD patients, and existing treatments are focused on increasing the quality of life.

A new potential treatment option for COPD patients is the endoscopic application of lung tissue sealant to remove trapped air from the affected lung regions, and thereby increase the functionality of healthy lung regions. Currently available sealants are highly toxic or rapidly degradable. Therefore, within this project novel adhesives will be developed at the University of Twente. The PhD student at the UMCG will test the biological effects and functionality of the novel fully synthetic sealants using state-of-the-art human lung based in vitro and ex vivo models. The goal is to develop a bronchoscopically applied sealant, with minimal toxicity and longevity in the lung to reduce air-trapping in hyperinflated lung areas and thus provide an immediate increase in functional lung capacity for COPD patients.

Prof. Dr. Janette Burgess
+31(0)50 3610 985
j.k.burgess@umcg.nl

Dr. S. Daan Pouwels
+31(0)50 361 3178
s.d.pouwels@umcg.nl