The Department of Biomedical Engineering. There is an endless demand in modern healthcare for technologies to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of health problems. To meet this demand, TU/e has a strong focus on Health in its research and education programs and has a department devoted entirely to this socially vital area: Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineers improve human health by cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering presently consists of thirteen research groups, organized in 3 clusters and covers everything from regenerative engineering to biomedical image analysis to biomolecular engineering. With 58 (assistant, associate and full) professors, over 100 researchers and postdocs, 158 PhD candidates and circa 950 bachelor and master students, the Department of Biomedical Engineering provides high-quality academic education and cutting-edge research.

See here for more information about the department, and here or more information about the current research programs.

About ICMS. The Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) is an interdisciplinary institute at the TU/e which brings excellent researchers from different areas together to promote cross-breeding of ideas across disciplines in the departments Biomedical Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. The institute aims to create and study biologically relevant functional structures with the ultimate goal of understanding the complexity of life.

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is ranked as one of the most innovative universities located in the heart of the high-tech industry in the Netherlands, the Brainport region. The unique positioning in one of Europe's leading tech regions also means excellent job opportunities for spouses. TU/e actively facilitates career opportunities for partners of successful candidates. Eindhoven is the fifth largest city in the Netherlands, and including suburbs, it has about 420,000 inhabitants.  Our training and research programs are highly regarded, and we foster close relationships with companies, organizations, and research institutes in the Brainport region and beyond.  Fundamental and applied research are equally valued here.  The high rank of the TU/e is due to the impact of its scientific research and also to its scientific co-­publications with industry.  TU/e is a social and inspiring university with a vibrant culture.  Surrounded by people who share your scientific ambitions, we translate our basic research into meaningful solutions. The TU/e currently has nine departments, with over 11,000 students in total.

About the project: The ability to continuously monitor biomolecular markers has the potential to revolutionise health care by allowing real-time monitoring of disease progression, but is also important for bioprocess monitoring and for monitoring secretion of proteins and other biomarkers in organ-on-a-chip microfluidic devices. In the NanoSwitch project, researchers from the Institute of Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) will develop a new class of biomolecular switches for continuous monitoring of secreted biomarkers. By combining DNA nanotechnology with state-of-the-art chemical biology, antibody-DNA hybrids will be created that allow biomarker detection using bioluminescent sensor proteins or particle-based optical detection methods. The newly developed sensors will be integrated into microfluidic devices to enable continuous monitoring of a cytokines and other secreted biomarkers, providing an important advance in the field of organ-on-a-chip devices.

What we are looking for: We are looking for a chemist/biophysicist with who wants to apply state-of-the-art biomolecular engineering to develop new concepts for continuous biosensing. The ideal candidate would have experience with bioconjugation chemistry and DNA nanotechnology, but excellent candidates with a background in protein engineering, molecular diagnostics and/or organ-on-a-chip microfluidic devices will also be considered. Important personal skills include a proven ability to manage projects, collaborate with external parties and be self-driven. You should be fluent in English and enjoy working in a multinational and multidisciplinary group of scientists, including spending part of the time of the project in Barcelona.

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The project represents a collaboration between ICMS and IBEC and aims to foster closer collaboration between these two renowned research institutes. The post-doc will be based in the protein engineering group headed by Prof. Maarten Merkx, but closely collaborate with the Molecular Biosensors for Medical Diagnostics group (Prof. Prins)  and the Chemical Biology group (Prof. Brunsveld). These groups are part of the Institute of Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), providing access to modern facilities for molecular biology, protein expression and purification, organic synthesis, fluorescence microscopy and bioanalytical/biophysical characterization. At IBEC, the post-doc will collaborate closely with the Biosensors for Bioengineering group of prof. Javier Ramón, whose group is pioneering the integration of sensing systems in microfluidic devices to allow in-situ continuous measurements of biomarkers in organ-on-a-chip devices.

What we offer: We offer a Postdoc position in a successful and internationally-oriented department.

• A position for a period of 1 year. After a good evaluation your contract can be extended for 1 other year.
• The gross monthly salary is in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement of the Dutch Universities (scale 10), depending on your experience.
• Additionally, we offer a yearly holiday allowance of 8% of the annual salary and a yearly end-of-year bonus of 8.3% of the annual salary. Family friendly initiatives are in place such as partially paid parental leave, on-campus children day care and excellent on-campus sports facilities. In addition we offer a pension scheme, flexible employment conditions and the possibility to participate in a collective health care plan and other benefits such as support in moving expenses, commuting expenses, savings schemes.

The city of Eindhoven offers a relaxed, multicultural environment, high quality of life and many options for extra-curricular activities. The city has a mild climate, and it is well-connected by rail, air, and road links with major European cities. The city is at the heart of the Brainport region of Netherlands, a region with high growth, high innovation, and many permanent employment opportunities for expats. Candidates moving to the Netherlands from abroad may qualify for a tax incentive scheme, where 30% of your income is tax free for a (maximum) period of five years. Click here for more information