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Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
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We are looking for a motivated student to fill a fully funded PhD position at the University of Groningen. The aim of this PhD project is to develop novel therapies for healthcare through the engineering of smart bioelectronic devices. Although interfacing electronics with biological systems has shown great promise for a wide variety of disorders, personalized therapies that adapt in real-time have not been established yet. The development of soft and flexible bioelectronic devices that use feedback of integrated biosensors and high-density microelectrode arrays will enable precision therapy to improve healthcare.
Background
Bioelectronic medicine, or therapies based on electronic devices, is currently witnessing an explosion of interest in both academia and industry. Inspired by clinical successes such as the cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implants, and deep brain stimulators, bioelectronic medicine has the potential to revolutionize healthcare because it offers local and targeted treatments with reduced side effects and improved outcomes. For these therapies to be effective and deliver personalized therapies, devices need to record and process relevant biological data and adapt therapeutic parameters real-time.
In this project, you will develop low-power biosensors and circuits that can record and processes biological signals. This will be used as real-time feedback to deliver targeted electric fields with high spatial resolution with optimized stimulation parameters for precise and safe modulation.
To improve the performance and integration of bioelectronic devices with biology, devices will be made of organic materials (polymers) to better match the mechanical properties of cells and tissue. This technology will be applied on rigid substrates for lab-on-chip applications as well as on flexible substrates for in vivo applications with a strong focus on reliability and stable performance to realize clinical translation.
Where are you going to work?
This project will take place in the research group Bioinspired MEMS and Biomedical Devices that operates within the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). The group focusses on the development of advanced micro/nano technologies and nanofabrication to develop state-of-the-art MEMS/NEMS sensors and systems, biomimetic MEMS/NEMS, wearable sensors, 3D printing and additive manufacturing for novel MEMS sensors, sensors for biomedical /clinical /healthcare monitoring applications, and bioelectronics.
The student will be supervised by Dr G. Dijk and Prof. A.G.P. Kottapalli.
What are you going to do?
This is an interdisciplinary project where various components of biomedical engineering such as materials science, chemistry, electronics, and biology converge to develop innovative therapeutics. The project includes the following key elements, with the allocation of time depending on the interests of the candidate:
- Develop flexible bioelectronic interfaces using soft materials that can electrically record and stimulate neural networks.
- Microfabricate thin-film bioelectronic devices.
- Develop novel clean room and photolithography processes that are compatible with organic materials for reliable and scalable manufacturing.
- Develop organic transistors for high signal-to-noise ratio electrical recordings using soft, organic semiconductor materials.
- Electrochemical characterization of conducting polymers as electrode material to interface with nervous tissue.
- Assess, study, and improve long-term functionality of the bioelectronic interface, including the device stability and the biological response.
- Validate device performance on neuronal cell cultures.
- First steps towards in vivo animal studies.
Who are you?
The following requirements are mandatory:
- Master’s degree in engineering or other equivalent degree from internationally renowned universities.
- Written and spoken English proficiency.
- High motivation to perform academic research.
- Enthusiasm for learning and discovery.
The following items are preferred, but not required:
- Experience with cleanroom processes such as photolithography, material deposition, and dry etching.
- Hands-on experience with electronics, transistors and/or biosensors.
- Cross-cultural sensitivity and strong communication skills.
