Research assistant for the development of 3D-printed biochemical sensors - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Full-time temporary position for 1 year starting as soon as possible or by agreement

The Department of Materials Science at the Ångström Laboratory offers an innovative and international research environment that can take on technical and societal challenges both now and in the future. The department houses eight research departments, including Myfab, the infrastructure for cleanroom-based research.

At the Department of Microsystems Technology, where the position is located, research and teaching are conducted on miniaturized systems with integrated sensors and actuators. Typical areas of application for the technology are bioscience and medical technology.

You can also read more about us here https://www.materialvetenskap.uu.se

The Competence Center in Additive Manufacturing for the Life Sciences, AM4Life ("Additive manufacturing for the life sciences") is a VINNOVA competence center that brings together more than 20 partners in academia, industry and the public sector to support competence development in additive manufacturing for life sciences. The center is led by the Department of Materials Science at Uppsala University and is financed by academia, industry and VINNOVA in equal parts, with a total budget of approx. 100 MSEK and will be run for five years primarily, between 2020-2024.

Project description: The project is aimed at developing new biochemical sensors with additive manufacturing technology. "Point of care" diagnosis - "diagnosis at the bedside" - is a rapidly growing trend and the future measuring instruments are expected to be portable and preferably implantable or worn as thin and flexible "patches". Stability and robustness are critical for both implantable and wearable biochemical sensors, and current devices typically have a fairly short lifespan. 3D printing enables a completely new design freedom and can also provide important material advantages. In this project, additive manufacturing techniques will be used to enable miniaturized biochemical sensors and improved properties of the 3D printed structures and materials, e.g. thin electrodes. Properties such as chemical composition, microstructure, specific surface area and adhesion are essential and various imaging and analysis equipment will be used for the characterization. The project will therefore be interdisciplinary and include research in areas such as materials science, electrochemistry and biochemistry. The research studies are conducted within the competence center in additive manufacturing for the life sciences, AM4Life, in collaboration with the companies Kanthal and Alleima Palm Coast. Kanthal is a world-leading brand in industrial heating products and solutions in sustainable material development. Alleima Palm Coast specializes in the manufacture of medical thread products and components under the Exera brand.

Work duties: The tasks within the research project, as described above, are about developing new additive manufacturing technology, 3D printing technology, for the production of miniaturized biochemical sensors. Additive manufacturing processes with sub-micrometer resolution and new materials based on e.g. carbon nanotubes or graphene are to be compared and studied with regard to everything from material properties to sensor functions.

Qualification requirements: Master's degree in engineering physics, chemical engineering, materials science, microsystems engineering or related education. Very good written and spoken English skills are a requirement.

Additional qualifications: Experience with 3D printing and various experimental and analytical techniques is meritorious.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities such as good cooperation and communication skills. The applicant should be dedicated, structured and able to work effectively both individually and in a group.

Application: Your application must contain:

• personal letter in which you briefly describe yourself and your research interests,
• CV, with certified copies of educational certificates and grades,
• copies of degree work at advanced level, as well as of other documents, eg publications, which you wish to refer to
• names and contact details of at least two reference persons, who have accepted to be references for you, must also be included. It must be stated what relationship you have had with the respective referent.

During the application period, we will continuously read application documents and call for interviews.

About the employment: The employment is a temporary position, 1 year. Scope of employment 100%.  Starting date as soon as possible or by agreement.  Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact Stefan Johansson stefan.johansson@angstrom.uu.se, phone 018-471 3086

Please submit your application by 31 October 2023, UFV-PA 2023/3447

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