PhD position on cartilage and osteochondral bioprinting for joint restoration

The Cartilage Engineering group (CARE, Prof. Andrea Barbero) at the Department of Biomedicine, together with the Medical Advanced Manufacturing Research Group (Swiss MAM, Team Biofabrication, Dr. Valentina Basoli) at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, is seeking a PhD candidate for a project focused on bioprinting of cartilage and osteochondral graft for the regeneration of temporomandibular joints. Horizon Europe fully funds the position. It will be performed in collaboration with different European research groups, including the Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering (Prof. Daniel Kelly, coordinator of the grant proposal). The starting date is December 2024. The CARE and MAM groups are interdisciplinary teams with expertise in the biological and engineering sciences and clinical trials with cell-based treatments for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. The city of Basel, located on the borders of France and Germany, is one of the world's leading life sciences, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological centers.

Your position

The project aims to develop cartilage and osteochondral using nasal chondrocytes (cells in clinical use for repairing cartilage defects) and Melt electrowriting (MEW, i.e., an approach that combines electrospinning with 3D printing). In particular, the effect of scaffold architecture on nasal chondrocyte differentiation will be assessed. Additionally, the project aims to evaluate the regenerative capacity of the manufactured grafts in vivo (i.e., temporomandibular joint defect model in animals).
The candidate is expected to:

• CAD Design, material optimization, and MEW scaffold printing
• Design and conduct in vitro experiments,
• Explore the maturation of the grafts in vitro
• Generate the grafts for the animal study and analyze the regenerative tissues
• Generate scientific texts, including abstracts, publications, presentations, and protocols
• Supervision and teaching of BME / medical students

Your profile

We seek a highly motivated candidate with:

• MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Material science, biotechnology, or biology or similar (required)
• Background in musculoskeletal research, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, or tissue engineering (strong advantage)
• Experience with Biomaterial, Bioprinting and Melt Electrowriting printing (Hydrogel, Polymers, mechanical test characterization)
• Experience with cell and tissue culture, qPCR, immunoassays, viability assays, microscopy, or histology (strong advantage)
• Excitement to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment
• Independent thinking, ambition, focus on discovery, and dedication to perform research of the highest quality
• Excellent communication and writing skills (English)

We offer you

• Opportunity to work in a high-level scientific laboratory with accomplished and new collaborators and clinical partners
• Training and guidance from experienced staff and research group leaders
• Versatile responsibilities within dynamic research groups, promoting a healthy work-life balance
• Participation to conferences and networking events with experts in Switzerland and globally
• Attractive working conditions and salary according to the standards of the University of Basel