Master thesis/Internship position on developing cultured meat

Working group: RG De Laporte

The DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen is a research institute that takes on the challenge of surpassing disciplinary limits and tackling new questions relating to substances and materials that combine technology and nature. It is a location where people with different talents, experiences and skills work together, to learn from each other, and generate new knowledge and new methods to create a better quality of life in our world. 

DWI invites applications for a position as:

Master thesis/Internship (m/f/d) (Biologist, Bioengineer, or related field of study)

Project description:

It is estimated that the global population will reach to approximately 9 billion in the year 2050, leading to an approximate increase by 85 % in global meat production. Producing this amount of meat would rely on the growth of factory farming, a major source of pollution contributing to up to 24 % of total current greenhouse gas emissions. One way to reduce the environmental impact of conventional meat production methods is in vitro synthesis of meat, i.e. cultured meat, using tissue engineering techniques (estimated CO2-reduction approx. 78 %). Cultured meat production resembling traditional cuts with proper textural characteristics is very challenging and has not been achieved yet, as it would require growing 3D tissues with a more native-like structure, which is given by the structure of muscle fibers within the meat. At DWI, we are working in close collaboration with textile, biotech, and food industrial partners on developing a 3D muscle-like fibrous construct resembling the structure of natural meat. To do this, we will use a novel wet spinning platform that enables spinning cell laden hydrogel fibers with embedded hollow channels for nutrient and oxygen supply in a continuous and high-throughput manner.

Your Tasks and Responsibilities:

Together with a highly interdisciplinary team of engineers, chemists, and bioengineers, you will be responsible for:

  • Fabrication and in vitro characterization of the cell laden wet spun muscle-like 3D construct. This will include myosatellite cell isolation (e.g. from embryonic chick or porcine), characterization of myofiber formation within the wet-spun construct and study of the perfusion and maturation of muscle fiber 3D constructs within a novel perfusable bioreactor.

Your Profile:

  • You should hold a bachelor’s degree and be currently enrolled in a master’s degree program in biology, biotechnology, bioengineering, or related field of study.
  • Strong interest in working in a high pace environment and a multidisciplinary project is essential.
  • The candidate must be a team-player and a strong communicator both in written and verbal (English and preferentially also German).
  • Having experience with 3D cell culture, cell isolation, stem cell culture and characterization is advantageous.

DWI offers:

We will offer you exciting and challenging tasks, as well as development opportunities in a modern scientific organization. We will provide you an open and team-oriented working atmosphere in an international environment. You will have the support of an experienced team and work in a close collaboration with national/international recognizable scientists in the field of biomedical and tissue engineering.

At DWI we value diversity and therefore welcome all applications - regardless of gender, disability, nationality, or ethnic and social background.

For more information please contact
Postdoc

Dr.-Ing Abdolrahman Omidinia Anarkoli

T
+49 241 80-23183
Room
B 3.56
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Abdolrahman Omidinia Anarkoli
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Wir haben Ihr Interesse geweckt?

Bitte senden Sie Ihre Unterlagen, einschließlich eines kurzen Motivationsschreibens, Lebenslaufs und Zeugnissen per E-Mail ausschließlich im PDF-Format, möglichst in einer Datei an Dr.-Ing. Omidinia-Anarkoli omidinia@dwi.rwth-aachen.de.