PhD (Dr.-Ing.) Position in High Pressure Bioengineering - Structure-Function Relationships of living Muscle Tissue under High Hydrostatic Pressures using a novel optical PiezoGRIN Technology

The Institute of Medical Biotechnology (MBT) is searching for a highly motivated candidate to fill in a PhD position (Dr.-Ing.) in High Pressure Bioengineering in the fields of Optical Technologies, Advanced Microscopy, High Pressure Biotechnology and Process Engineering and Muscle Biology

Ihre Aufgaben

The project follows a DFG-funded research project over three years. It links between optical and mechanical engineering and cellular muscle technologies with the aim to study cellular reactions of skeletal muscle cells and whole tissue subjected to various high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) profiles between 0.1 MPa and ~200 MPa (equivalent to 20,000 m depth).

The job is set within the framework of a PhD thesis and involves education towards scientific and academic work within a university-based institute addressing a major research project (DFG Project High Pressure Biotechnology) and further opportunities to collaborate on other side projects within the institute. The tasks cover optical and electrical/mechanical engineering aspects (e.g., refinement of GRIN lens optics to improve the PiezoGRIN; include electrical field stimulation into the vessel hull, fabrication, 3D CAD design) as well as muscle cell biology and physiology aspects (e.g., manual preparation of single muscle fibres, cell handling, cell culture, Ca2+ fluorescence microscopy, immune-fluorescence imaging) using epifluorescence and multiphoton imaging techniques (e.g., Second Harmonic Generation imaging) and image analysis (i.e., quantitative morphometry).

The scope of duties comprises: Muscle dissection, single muscle fibre dissociation, electrical cell stimulation, high hydrostatic pressure applications, fluorescence microscopy, multiphoton microscopy, image processing, biochemistry, immune-staining, optical engineering, CAD design, electrical bioengineering, scientific experiment designs and planning, data analysis and presentation, contribution to teaching.

Background: Most of earth’s biosphere is exposed to much higher pressures much than our atmosphere. Life at highly elevated ambient pressures, such as the deep sea, must have evolved in ways to adapt in order to survive such environmental stress on cells and tissues. Some species living in the deep sea can even migrate vertically and cover tens of MPa of pressure gradients in little time. In order to study HHP effects on the locomotory organ of skeletal muscle, we have set aims to expose single cells and whole tissue from terrestrial mammalian origin (i.e., mouse muscles) to HHP in a controlled manner to test whether absolute amplitudes, speed of pressurization, duration at holding pressures and alike, all specifically alter cell and tissue function. For this, we have previously built an optical pressure vessel (PiezoGRIN) to be able to apply high-end multiphoton microscopy to visualise cells and tissue directly under high pressures. With this, cellular Ca2+ signals as well as cellular ultrastructure shall be investigated in this project and tested whether small organic osmolyte molecules, i.e., trimethyl-amine-oxide (TMAO), can prevent HHP-induced damage in an attempt to develop a biotechnology concept for ‘Life under Pressure’. You will be working in a highly multi-disciplinary environment comprising PC1 and PC2 laboratories with access and use of state-of-the art single cell biomechatronics (MyoRobot) and advanced biophotonics systems (multiphoton multifocal microscopes, PiezoGRIN optical vessel).

Ihr Profil

Notwendige Qualifikationen:

  • Master of Science in fields of engineering/bioengineering and/or cell technologies.
  • Work with mammalian cells is required, please no applications from microbiology background.
  • Mandatory is proficiency in written and spoken English language. German language is desirable.

Wünschenswerte Qualifikationen:

Background in optical engineering and biophotonics, biomechanics and/or bioelectronics, fabrication techniques, CAD design.

Stellenzusatz

Befristetes Forschungsvorhaben

We offer an exciting position in an innovative research project with high translational impact. Access to state-of-the-art technology and an excellent scientific network. Opportunities for personal and professional development. The registration as doctoral candidate is mandatory with the assignment. Doctorate theses on average take about 4-5 years at the Technical Faculty at FAU.

Most of the work will take place standing up and at different locations.

Find more information on the project on our website (https://www.mbt.tf.fau.de/about-us/open-positions/; Structure-Function Relationships of living Muscle Tissue under High Hydrostatic Pressures using a novel optical PiezoGRIN Technology).

Relevant literature: Schneidereit et al. (2018) Adv Sci 6, 1801453, http://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201801453.

Please send your application as single pdf document to Ingrid.callies@fau.de; julian.bauer@fau.de.

Anmerkung

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Veröffentlichungsdatum: 22.05.2025, Posteransicht