IMT 27-20 Master Thesis: Bio-MEMS “CELL CLINIC” for correlative studies of human induced pluripotent stem cells

Area of research:

Diploma & Master Thesis

The position is suitable for part-time employment.

1602453600

For the “CELL CLINIC” interdisciplinary project in collaboration with Heidelberg University, we are looking for an enthusiastic, ambitious and motivated student with interest in exploiting methods of microsystems engineering, in particular Bio-MEMS in order to address a very specific scientific question: complex screening of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells in a microfluidic controlled environment.

The overarching goal of the “CELL CLINIC” project will be to produce a Bio-MEMS platform, the so-called “CELL CLINIC”, which will allow for both electrochemical and metabolic monitoring of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells colonies. Electrochemical monitoring will be realized by electrodes integrated within the CELL CLINIC, while metabolic monitoring will be achieved by integrating miniaturized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detectors within the CELL CLINIC.

The specific tasks within the project will be: (i) design and fabricate electrode arrays within a microfluidic environment for electrochemical monitoring of hiPS cell colonies; (ii) be involved, together with the partners from Heidelberg Univ., in hiPS cell colonies testing; (iii) integrate the CELL CLINIC with miniaturized NMR sensing capabilities. During the Master thesis, you will get hands-on experience on microcluidics design, cleanroom fabrication, micro-structural characterization, hiPS cells characterization, having the opportunity to get exposure to a wide range of instruments and techniques.

You will be integrated in the larger team of the Spin & Photon Applications (SPA-) Laboratory. Within this project, you will use the infrastructure existent at the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT), i.e., microfabrication facilities and micro-characterization equipment. This is a complete project, offering the possibility to fabricate and test the devices, giving you the opportunity to co-author conference and/or journal publications.

Further information on the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT): www.imt.kit.edu

This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.