We welcome applications to complete a doctoral training in Advanced Engineering with Living Materials (ALIVE) as part of the MaP Doctoral School hosted by the ETH Zurich Competence Center for Materials and Processes. The focus is on Biohybrid Muscles and Bioreactors for muscle tensioning.
The ALIVE 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:
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)". more info about ETH Zurich doctorate
You will become an integral part of the ALIVE Biohybrid Project Stream. Furthermore, you would be physically based in the Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces (D-MATL). Your adviser will be Prof. Lucio Isa, with support from with Dr. Eleonora Secchi (D-BAUG), and your co-adviser will be Prof. Robert Katzschmann (D-MAVT). Close collaborators on this PhD project (all within the ALIVE consortium) are Simone Schürle, Mustafa Khammash, Edoardo Mazza, and Jess Snedecker.
The thesis work would focus on:
You would, during the thesis, also get involved in the synthesis of functional microcapsules for targeted release, perform advanced optical microscopy measurements and experience a broad range of nanofabrication tools.
The output of the PhD thesis is going to be highly relevant as a model system for microrobots to move within the bio-hybrid muscular constructs targeted by the ALIVE project stream.
You should:
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.
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We look forward to receiving your application.
Please submit the following application documents using only the ETH online portal in a single merged PDF document, titled with your last name and initials as well as the application date (for example, 20230601_DoeJane_application) in the following order:
Further information about our group can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Josephine Baer, email josephine.baer@mat.ethz.ch (no applications).
In your application, please refer to Polytechnicpositions.com