Postdoc Mechanobiology of Extracellular Matrix Materials with Designer Cell-Matrix Interactions

Biomaterials are widely used as scaffolds for cell culture in regenerative medicine, organ-on-chip human disease models, and cell-based meat production. However, they are currently mostly based on structural proteins sourced from animal tissues. Animal-derived products are unsustainable and difficult to customize. The goal of this project is to develop recombinant protein-based biomaterials capable of guiding cell functions by emulating the extracellular matrix of tissues.
Your role in this project will be to design the mechanobiological properties of the tissue-mimicking biopolymer networks via programmable cell-matrix interactions. Biomaterials should ideally permit independent control of their physical and biochemical properties because cells sense and respond to both cues. This has proven challenging with natural proteins since increasing the stiffness via the protein concentration also changes the ligand density. To address this challenge, you will explore composite materials of recombinant collagen and elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). ELPs have no intrinsic bioactivity and can thus be made selectively bioactive by incorporating selected peptide motifs. You will explore how to program the physical and biochemical properties of these materials to steer cell differentiation and cell functions with a focus on endothelial cells and fibroblasts, relevant for soft tissue repair, and on pluripotent stem cells, relevant for cell-based meat or cell therapies.
You will be part of a unique multidisciplinary team. The Daran lab at TU Delft is establishing a dedicated microbial cell factory to produce collagen and elastin while the Koenderink lab at TU Delft is using their expertise in cell and tissue biophysics and mechanobiology to design materials with tissue-mimicking biomechanical properties. In close collaboration with the companies DSM, Meatable and VIVOLTA, we will explore applications of these materials for soft tissue repair and cell-based meat. Your findings will provide fundamental insights in tissue biophysics and mechanobiology, and a strong basis for rational design of biomaterials for applications in soft tissue repair and cell-based meat.

Requirements:

We seek an outstanding experimental biophysicist with a strong affinity for research at the interface of physics, mechanobiology and biomaterials science and with relevant research experience in fields such as biophysics, mechanobiology, bioengineering or soft matter physics. We are looking for a candidate with a high level of intellectual creativity, genuine interest in fundamental research, who enjoys being part of a collaborative international team and easily communicates with scientists from different disciplines.
Applicants must:

• hold a PhD, or approach its completion, in biophysics or a closely related discipline;
• have experience with biophysics and/or mechanobiology, optical imaging, mammalian cell culture and analysis skills;
• have excellent written and spoken English skills;
• thrive in an international, ambitious, multidisciplinary, and highly collaborative environment.   

Salary Benefits:

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

38 hours per week

Mekelweg 2