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Application Deadline: 30/11/2015
Ref: SP-EM
The Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher to participate in the development of the project “Engineering Complex Intestinal Epithelial Tissue Models” (ERC-Consolidator Grant). The goal of this project is to engineer intestinal epithelial tissue models that mimic physiological characteristics found in in vivo human intestinal tissue, to open up new areas of research on human intestinal diseases. To do this, we propose to develop an experimental setup that combines microfabrication techniques, tissue engineering components and recent advances in intestinal stem cell research, exploiting stem cell self-organizing characteristics. We anticipate this setup to recapitulate the 3D morphology, the spatio-chemical gradients and the dynamic microenvironment of the living tissue. We expect the new device to prove useful in understanding cell physiology, adult stem cell behavior, and organ development as well as in modelling human intestinal diseases.