PhD position in Biohybrid Muscles in Zürich

We welcome applications to complete a doctoral training in Advanced Engineering with Living Materials (ALIVE) as part of the  hosted by the ETH Zurich Competence Center for . The focus is on Biohybrid Muscles and Bioreactors for muscle tensioning.

The  Initiative of ETH Zurich aims to elucidate and apply the design principles of living systems as a basis for sustainable, intelligent, and resilient materials and technologies of the future. Our approach encompasses studying natural systems and developing biohybrid or biomimetic synthetic systems bridging across scales, from the nano to the macro and structural scale. ALIVE is organized into three interrelated project streams:

• Actuated human joint organoid on chip for personalized health
• Multiscale biohybrid tissues for robotics driven by applications in health
• Living systems for carbon-capturing in self-aware infrastructure

Two participating professors from ETH Zurich act as co-advisors. Accordingly, doctoral students are expected to take advantage of both research groups' opportunities and actively seek cross-group collaborations. The MaP Doctoral School offers a wide range of activities like symposia, workshops, and lecture series, as well as the possibility for doctoral students to organize such formats. ETH ALIVE Doctoral Fellowships are an exciting opportunity, and admission is highly competitive. The fellows will be employed according to the regulations of ETH Zurich. The corresponding guidelines for doctoral education apply. Upon completing the doctorate, the fellows are awarded the title "Doctor of Sciences (Dr. sc. ETH Zurich)". 

You will become an integral part of the . Furthermore, you would be physically based in the Soft Robotics Laboratory (D-MAVT). Your adviser will be Prof. Robert Katzschmann (D-MAVT) and your co-adviser will be Prof. Jess Snedecker (D-HEST). Close collaborators on this PhD project (all within the ALIVE consortium) are Simone Schürle, Mustafa Khammash, and Edoardo Mazza.

The thesis work would focus on:

• engineering bioreactors for mechanical tensioning of the muscle constructs
• fabrication and motion modeling (potentially via machine learning approaches)
• bioprinting of complex muscle architecture (potentially including neurons/nerve engineering)

You would, during the thesis, also get involved in the engineering of real neural networks since the engineered muscles would provide a resource to test genetically engineered neuron cells.
The output of the Ph.D. thesis is going to be highly relevant as a model system for microrobots to move within the constructs and to use the constructs for test grounds to do cell signaling and cell intervention.

Furthermore, you will become an integral part of the . Furthermore, you would be physically based in the Soft Robotics Laboratory (D-MAVT). Your adviser will be Prof. Robert Katzschmann (D-MAVT) and your co-adviser will be Prof. Jess Snedecker (D-HEST). Close collaborators on this PhD project (all within the ALIVE consortium) are Simone Schürle, Mustafa Khammash, and Edoardo Mazza.

You should:

• Hold a Master's degree in a field relevant to the Biohybrid project stream: materials science, biology & biosystems science, (bio-)engineering, robotics, or computer science.
•  Have an excellent track record and meet the . 
•  Know cell culture very well and ideally be highly proficient in biomaterials and biomanufacturing via various methods, including bioprinting and fabricating perfusable networks within the muscle. 

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity, and attractive offers and benefits.