PhD in a Cultured Meat project (m/f/d)

Project description

MeatPrint is a cooperation project with the Institute of Printing Science and Technology at the University of Darmstadt and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The project aims to explore how the mechano-physical properties of hydrogel-additive formulations interact with the biochemical characteristics of primary bovine muscle and fat cells at various maturation stages during large-scale 3D bioprinting. To achieve this, 3D-bioprinted co-cultures are analyzed for cell-cell interactions and tissue maturation.

The core hypothesis is that printing parameters affect cell behavior and tissue development when primary bovine muscle and fat cells are embedded in hydrogels at different maturation stages.

To replicate animal meat in vivo, it's essential to mimic its sensory and nutritional properties Precise placement of muscle and fat (progenitor) cells creates distinct muscle and fat compartments. Constructs are screen-printed in 300-500 μm thick layers, cultured individually, and later assembled by transglutaminase-induced fusion, allowing nutrient diffusion during maturation and avoiding the need for vascularization.

Using mature and precursor muscle and fat cells in co-culture allows for more realistic tissue properties like fat content, texture, and consistency. Mature cells reduce the need for in vitro differentiation, leading to shorter culture times, simpler media, and resource efficiency.

To improve the sensory and nutritional profile, additives such as plant proteins and essential amino acids are incorporated into polysaccharide-based hydrogels. These are tested for their impact on both the physical properties of the material and cell survival as well as differentiation.

The influence of printing processes – microextrusion and screen-printing-based bioprinting – on cell behavior is investigated by printing muscle and fat cells at different stages into tissue-like structures. The focus is on how shear stress affects fat cell degradation, and how this, in turn, affects muscle cell survival and differentiation within the co-culture.

We are looking for a motivated candidate for the MeatPrint project at the IGVP as: PhD student (m/f/d).

Interested?

Then please send your application (cover letter, résumé, relevant certificates) as a PDF via email to: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!. If this is not possible for you, you can also send us your application in paper form. Please submit application documents only as copies, as they will be destroyed after the conclusion of the process in accordance with data protection regulations. Information on the handling of applicant data pursuant to Article 13 of the GDPR can be found online https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/datenschutz/bewerbung. Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse any application or interview costs.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Application deadline: June 16, 2025.