PhD Position Epigenetic Editing for Cultivated Meat

Job description

‘Cultivated meat’, the production of genuine meat products from in vitro culture of animal cells, is an emerging biotechnology within the field of cellular agriculture with the potential to revolutionise food production from both an environmental and ethical perspective. Unfortunately, higher eukaryotic cells in their unmodified state have severe limitations with respect to in vitro culture, presenting major challenges for the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cultivated meat bioprocesses. These include limited cellular lifespans, slow proliferation rates, demanding medium requirements and a preference for adherent growth, amongst others. Cell engineering using genetic modification can solve some of these problems, but introduces regulatory complexities and biological challenges of it’s own.

Epigenetic editing, the controlled reprogramming of endogenous gene expression using sequence-specific DNA- and histone-modifying tools, might be a potential solution! We are hiring for a PhD student to join the group for a fully-funded project of 4 years. Within the Flack group, you will develop tools and methods for epigenetic editing, and use these to engineer bovine satellite cell lines with a variety of new and improved phenotypes, relating to (for example) suspension culture, growth factor requirements, and metabolic efficiency.

Within the scope of epigenetic editing for cultivated meat, there will be freedom to direct your own research projects, and to become acquainted with new techniques and approaches. There will be opportunities to supervise MSc and BSc students in the group. Advice and discussion will be available for candidates interested in both academic and industry careers. We are a friendly, collaborative group and are looking for a highly motivated student with strong scientific communication skills. You will be joining a dynamic department with broad interests in biotechnology and synthetic biology across all domains of life.

The research is funded as part of the NWO Open Technology Programme, and will involve collaboration and coordination with several industrial parties.

For more information, please refer to the Flack Group website and/or get in touch.

Job requirements
The ideal candidate will be an ambitious, proactive, reflective, and results-driven researcher. We are looking for the following:

• MSc degree in a relevant field, such as cell biology, biotechnology or a related field of biological sciences (essential)
• Prior lab experience in molecular biology, cloning and genetic manipulation (essential)
• Prior expertise with mammalian cell culture (highly desirable)
• Prior experience with gene editing and/or cell engineering (e.g. CRISPR/Cas or related techniques - highly desirable)
• A strong interest in cellular agriculture/cultivated meat is essential, although specific prior experience in this area is not expected or required
• Strong collaboration, communication and writing skills

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Applied Sciences
With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Postdoc SmartWeave: A textile Sensor for the Monitoring of Sweat Metabolites

Job description

Patients with chronic conditions regularly need to visit the hospital for check-up and the taking of a blood sample. This is not only burdensome for the patient but the lab analyses are time consuming and expensive. In this project we develop a smart armband which analyses sweat continuously and unobtrusively during everyday activities. This can be achieved by weaving the sensors into the material and using a small clip-on electronics unit. With that we can help patients with a bipolar disorder taking lithium as medication but it can also be used to monitor other metabolites like glucose or to detect dehydration.

As the post-doc you will work at the faculty of EEMCS in collaboration with a PhD student at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of TU Delft. You will be working on the sensing system in the armband. This will include the sensing yarn, a microfluidics system, electronicis and communication. The main aim of this project is to detect lithium in sweat. However, other ions will be considered at a later stage of the project. You will furthermore integrate these yarns in a textile structure that takes care of the sweat absorption and transport and protects the sensors.

In the final year of the project, the sensor bands will undergo testing with patients in collaboration with the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). You will work in close cooperation with a postdoc at the Bioelectronics section of the Electrical Engineering faculty at TU Delft.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD degree in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or another relevant field related to electrochemical sensors and human health monitoring.
• You have the social skills to deal with many stakeholders, from fellow academics to patients.
• You have experience with analysis of sensor data.
• You have an affinity for patient care and are able to communicate with patients.
• You have a good command of written and spoken English.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

PhD Position Epigenetic Editing for Cultivated Meat

Job description

‘Cultivated meat’, the production of genuine meat products from in vitro culture of animal cells, is an emerging biotechnology within the field of cellular agriculture with the potential to revolutionise food production from both an environmental and ethical perspective. Unfortunately, higher eukaryotic cells in their unmodified state have severe limitations with respect to in vitro culture, presenting major challenges for the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cultivated meat bioprocesses. These include limited cellular lifespans, slow proliferation rates, demanding medium requirements and a preference for adherent growth, amongst others. Cell engineering using genetic modification can solve some of these problems, but introduces regulatory complexities and biological challenges of it’s own.

Epigenetic editing, the controlled reprogramming of endogenous gene expression using sequence-specific DNA- and histone-modifying tools, might be a potential solution! We are hiring for a PhD student to join the group for a fully-funded project of 4 years. Within the Flack group, you will develop tools and methods for epigenetic editing, and use these to engineer bovine satellite cell lines with a variety of new and improved phenotypes, relating to (for example) suspension culture, growth factor requirements, and metabolic efficiency.

Within the scope of epigenetic editing for cultivated meat, there will be freedom to direct your own research projects, and to become acquainted with new techniques and approaches. There will be opportunities to supervise MSc and BSc students in the group. Advice and discussion will be available for candidates interested in both academic and industry careers. We are a friendly, collaborative group and are looking for a highly motivated student with strong scientific communication skills. You will be joining a dynamic department with broad interests in biotechnology and synthetic biology across all domains of life.

The research is funded as part of the NWO Open Technology Programme, and will involve collaboration and coordination with several industrial parties.

For more information, please refer to the Flack Group website and/or get in touch.

Job requirements
The ideal candidate will be an ambitious, proactive, reflective, and results-driven researcher. We are looking for the following:

• MSc degree in a relevant field, such as cell biology, biotechnology or a related field of biological sciences (essential)
• Prior lab experience in molecular biology, cloning and genetic manipulation (essential)
• Prior expertise with mammalian cell culture (highly desirable)
• Prior experience with gene editing and/or cell engineering (e.g. CRISPR/Cas or related techniques - highly desirable)
• A strong interest in cellular agriculture/cultivated meat is essential, although specific prior experience in this area is not expected or required
• Strong collaboration, communication and writing skills

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Applied Sciences
With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Postdoc SmartWeave: A textile Sensor for the Monitoring of Sweat Metabolites

Job description

Patients with chronic conditions regularly need to visit the hospital for check-up and the taking of a blood sample. This is not only burdensome for the patient but the lab analyses are time consuming and expensive. In this project we develop a smart armband which analyses sweat continuously and unobtrusively during everyday activities. This can be achieved by weaving the sensors into the material and using a small clip-on electronics unit. With that we can help patients with a bipolar disorder taking lithium as medication but it can also be used to monitor other metabolites like glucose or to detect dehydration.

As the post-doc you will work at the faculty of EEMCS in collaboration with a PhD student at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of TU Delft. You will be working on the sensing system in the armband. This will include the sensing yarn, a microfluidics system, electronicis and communication. The main aim of this project is to detect lithium in sweat. However, other ions will be considered at a later stage of the project. You will furthermore integrate these yarns in a textile structure that takes care of the sweat absorption and transport and protects the sensors.

In the final year of the project, the sensor bands will undergo testing with patients in collaboration with the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). You will work in close cooperation with a postdoc at the Bioelectronics section of the Electrical Engineering faculty at TU Delft.

Job requirements

• You hold a PhD degree in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or another relevant field related to electrochemical sensors and human health monitoring.
• You have the social skills to deal with many stakeholders, from fellow academics to patients.
• You have experience with analysis of sensor data.
• You have an affinity for patient care and are able to communicate with patients.
• You have a good command of written and spoken English.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

PhD Position: Climate-Adaptive Design for Historic Urban Landscapes

Job description

Citizen collectives (CCs) are essential actors in shaping transitions, because they innovate new pathways, (bottom-up) approaches, and potential solutions for persistent societal challenges. Examples of innovations developed by CCs are community energy collectives that stimulate local energy markets, or neighbourhood cooperatives that create local jobs and income. These innovations spark local transitions that ultimately contribute to larger societal transitions. For such innovations to start, flourish, and sustain, collaboration with governments is imperative. Creative competences (e.g. empathy, visualisation, idea generation), practices (e.g. co-design, iteration), and attitudes (e.g. reflexivity, open mindset) are indispensable for CCs to develop their ideas towards implementation and adapt along the way, particularly in a configuration with other crucial actors.

Apart from innovation capacity, continuity of CCs remains a challenge, because the collectives often rely on one or a few key figures. Likewise, fruitful collaboration with local governments is usually dependent on a few creative civil servants, acting as boundary spanners to bridge the (proverbial) gap between system world and life world. Representatives of many government agencies are increasingly under pressure due to budget cuts, tightening regulations (e.g. the widely debated nitrogen issue), an overemphasis on accountability, and the wider erosion of the public sector. These factors further complicate their ability and agency to collaborate with, support, and facilitate CCs beyond the scope of one-time subsidies or projects. We hypothesise that creative competencies of CCs are responsible for sparking the innovation in the collaborative practices with government agencies and other actors, in ways that may creatively overcome the aforementioned barriers and set off actual transitions. However, which configurations of creative competences play a role in these collaborative partnerships and how these can be strengthened (and maintained) remains underexplored. This hinders CCs and civil servants from unleashing their full potential in shaping inclusive and just societal transitions.

The following research question will drive your work:
What creative competences do CCs and civil servants need to establish effective collaborations and innovation to spark societal transitions and how can these be strengthened? Your research will identify creative competences—such as empathy, adaptability, visualization, idea generation—essential for citizen collectives and civil servants to collaborate effectively on innovations driving societal transitions. You will explore how these competences can be strengthened to overcome barriers like bureaucracy, budget constraints, and silo funding.

Through systematic literature review, qualitative case studies, and research-through-design approaches, you will develop the "Creative Competences Roadmap" (CCR)—a practical tool helping citizen collectives and civil servants identify, self-monitor, and develop creative capabilities. You will work both with successful CCs and CCs experiencing collaboration difficulties, to co-design pathways for competence development through workshops.

You will be embedded in the ECCO (Empowering Citizen COllectives in societal transitions) consortium. This setting offers an exceptional opportunity to pursue your PhD as part of a groundbreaking research initiative that bridges academia and society. ECCO investigates how citizen collectives—grassroots organisations formed by citizens working together on shared goals—can become powerful drivers of societal change in areas like housing, work, income, and sustainability. You will explore how these collectives can partner effectively with governments to address today's most pressing challenges, from climate change to social inequality.  

Job requirements
This position is perfect for candidates with backgrounds and strong interest in design, innovation studies, or social entrepreneurship who want to bridge creative practices with governance transformation. We require of applicants:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as innovation studies, design research, public administration, sustainability transitions, sociology, or a related discipline.
• Being an enthusiastic team player who enjoys working in multidisciplinary settings and can actively contribute to the ECCO consortium, engaging with researchers, citizen collectives, and governmental stakeholders. Proven experience in working with residents and/or civil servants is an asset.
• A strong interest in topics such as citizen participation, collective action, societal transitions, public-sector collaboration, local social entrepreneurship, and community-driven innovation.
• Proven experience with qualitative research skills (e.g., interviews, case studies, participatory methods) and/or design research skills (e.g., co-design, visualisation, prototyping), with the ability to translate findings into practical tools or frameworks.
• Proven strong written and verbal communication abilities, enabling you to engage effectively with diverse audiences, facilitate workshops, and present research outcomes to both academic and non-academic partners.
• Proficiency in the written and spoken use of the English and Dutch language.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment
The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.