The AMBER (Applied Microfluidics for BioEngineering Research) group seeks a qualified candidate for a PhD position for a project that aims to develop an advanced breast tumor-on-chip model incorporating essential cellular, physical, and chemical elements that impact therapeutic response; to validate this model for antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapies; and to conduct an innovation trajectory towards societal acceptance.

Tumour tissues are highly heterogeneous and vary with disease progression. This heterogeneity often correlates with poor treatment success. Yet, current in-vitro/in-vivo tumour models do not properly incorporate spatio-temporal heterogeneity and have thus limited translational value. As such, innovative approaches are needed for advanced modelling of the tumour microenvironment, that correlate spatio-temporal alterations to therapy responses. Such approaches will be a game-changer towards in vitro pharmacokinetics studies and provide a trajectory towards personalized medicine, when using patient-derived materials.

Your role in this project will initially be on the establishment of the breast tumour-on-chip model, including its design, fabrication, cellular culture in commercially available hydrogels, and its first-stage characterization in terms of spatial and temporal heterogeneity across the tumour tissue. Next, together with a post-doctoral researcher at UTwente, you will implement new non-animal-derived hydrogel matrices in the tumour model as well as novel molecular sensors for pH, O2 and tissue stiffness, developed in the frame of the project. You will also contribute to the validation of the resulting tumour-on-chip model through the testing of small chemotherapeutic agents in the model, followed by more advanced immunotherapeutic treatments, in close collaboration with a postdoctoral fellow at the radboudumc. A researcher at Saxion, with whom you will interact, will complete the team, focusing on societal and ethical aspects related to the development of new and advanced tumour-on-chip models for therapy assessment.

This PhD research position is part of a larger 4-year project, which is funded by the Dutch Science Organization NWO. This larger project is a national project conducted in close collaboration between the university of Twente, the Radboud university medical centre (radboudumc), Saxion, the University of Applied Sciences, the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) as well as a variety of industrial and societal partners.

• You have a master’s degree in engineering – either bio(medical) engineering with affinity for microfluidics / organ-on-chip models or mechanical engineering with strong affinity for biological/medical applications.
• You have experience with cell culture and molecular analysis
• You have interest and aptitude in modelling (e.g., COMSOL) (not mandatory but desirable)
• You are an enthusiastic and highly motivated researcher.
• You are independent, pro-active, and have a well-structured working style
• You have a creative mindset and excellent analytical and communication skills.
• You have a good team spirit and like to work in an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented environment.
• You are proficient in English for communication, both in writing and oral

• As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.770,- (first year) to € 3.539,- (fourth year);
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• A training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a suitable plan for education and supervision;
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

You will work in the AMBER (Applied Microfluidics for BioEngineering Research) research group, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Sciences (EEMCS), University of Twente in close collaboration with Dr. Paez (DBE-TNW, UTwente) and Dr. Verdurmen (Radboudumc).

AMBER is an internationally oriented group focusing on the development of innovative microfluidic and miniaturization strategies for biological and medical applications. Our activities include the development of miniaturized devices for life science applications, such as diagnostic devices and organ-on-chip (OoC) models in the fields of cancer research, reproductive biology and medicine and plastic toxicity.