PhD student position in additive manufacturing of microstructures for biochemical signal monitoring - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Ångström Laboratory provides an innovative and international research environment that can take on technical and societal challenges both now and in the future. The department has 8 divisions including Myfab, our infrastructure for cleanroom-based research.

At the Division of Microsystems technology, research and teaching concern miniaturized systems with integrated sensors and actuators. Applications are particularly within life science and biomedical engineering.

You can find more information about us here: https://www.materialvetenskap.uu.se/?languageId=1  

The project will be carried out within AM4Life, which is a VINNOVA Competence Centre that gathers more than 20 partners in academia, industry and the public sector to support competence development in additive manufacturing for the life sciences. The center is funded by academia, industry and VINNOVA in equal parts, with a total budget of approx. 100 MSEK and will run for 5 years in a first instance, between 2020-2024, and engage experts within academia and industry with a passion for 3D-printing with the ultimate goal of developing new technologies to improve people’s lives.

Project description: The project is focused on developing new biochemical monitoring sensors by additive manufacturing techniques (3D-printing). Point of care testing – “bedside testing” – is an emerging and fast growing trend and future medical diagnostic testing devices should at least be portable and preferably be implantable or thin and flexible patches. Stability and robust­ness are essential for implantable, as well as portable biochemical monitoring, and present devices typically have a rather short lifetime. One of the critical components is the reference electrode and the lifetime is related both to the design of the device, the materials themselves and the manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing allows a completely new design freedom and could also give important material advantages. In this project we will study both additive manufacturing techniques to allow for fine detail biochemical sensors and the proper­ties of the printed structures and materials, e.g. thin metal electrodes. Properties as chemical composition, microstructure, surface area and adhesion are essential and various imaging and analyzing equipment will be used for the characterization. The properties will be analyzed with respect to various biochemical sensor applications.

The PhD project is cross-disciplinary in its approach involving research in areas such as materials science, bioche­mistry and engineering science. The research studies will be carried out within the Competence Center AM4Life, in collaboration between Kanthal, Sandvik Palm Coast.  Kanthal is a world leading brand within industrial heating products and solutions including sustainable material development. Sandvik Palm Coast specializes in manufacturing medical fine wire products and components branded under the Exera trademark.

Duties: The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

 The work within the research project described above concerns the development of new additive manufacturing technology for the production of biochemical signal monitoring microstructures. Different types of additive manufacturing processes for selected materials should be compared and studied with respect to important properties in the intended application.

Qualification requirements: Master’s degree (MSc) in Chemical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Materials Engineering or an equivalent degree. We require very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Personal qualities, such as ability to manage and run scientific projects and simultaneously interact with other researchers are very important. The applicant must be determined, structured and able to work efficiently both individually and in groups.

Additional qualifications: Experience in 3D-printing of various experimental and analytical techniques  are meritorious.

Admission requirements: A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programs if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

Instructions for Application:

Applications should include:

•  cover letter, including a brief description of experience relevant to the position and the candidate criteria stated above,
•  CV
•  copies of diplomas and certificates, preferably a master thesis (or a draft thereof) and other relevant documents.
•  The candidates are encouraged to provide letter(s) of recommendation and should provide contact information to at least two reference persons. 

Salary: According to local agreement for PhD students

Starting date: 2022-01-01 or by agreement

Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5§7

Scope of employment: 100%

For further information about the position please contact: Stefan Johansson, stefan.johansson@angstrom.uu.se, telephone +46 (0) 18 4713086

Please submit your application by 30 November 2021, UFV-PA 2021/4089.

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