Postdoc Cell Engineering for Cultivated Meat

Are you ready to engineer and evolve the next generation of animal cell lines for cost-effective, scalable, delicious cruelty-free meat?!

This postdoctoral position focuses on cell engineering for cultivated meat.

We are hiring multiple postdoctoral scientists to join the Flack group for fully funded projects of an initial 2 years, focused on engineering and evolving bovine satellite cell lines for cultivated meat.

Job description

‘Cultivated meat’, the production of genuine meat products from in vitro culture of animal cells, is an emerging biotechnology within the field of cellular agriculture with the potential to revolutionise food production from both an environmental and ethical perspective. Higher eukaryotic cells in their unmodified state have severe limitations with respect to in vitro culture, presenting major challenges for the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cultivated meat bioprocesses. These include limited cellular lifespans, slow proliferation rates, demanding medium requirements and a preference for adherent growth, amongst others.

Within the Flack group, you will engineer and evolve bovine satellite cell lines with a variety of new and improved phenotypes, relating to, for example, suspension culture, signalling pathway activation and cellular lifespan. Once new cell lines have been engineered, you will characterise them using a wide variety of methods, including flow cytometry, microscopy and transcriptomics.

Within the scope of cell engineering for cultivated meat, there will be freedom to select and suggest your own research projects, and to become acquainted with new techniques and approaches. There will be ample opportunities to supervise PhD, MSc and BSc students in the group, and to become familiar with grant writing. Careers advice and discussion will be available for both academic and industry-minded scientists. The group is friendly and collaborative and is looking for highly motivated candidates with strong project management and communication skills. You will be joining a dynamic department with broad interests in biotechnology and synthetic biology across all domains of life.

The research is funded as part of the Cellular Agriculture Netherlands Open Calls Programme, and will involve collaboration and coordination with various industrial parties and external experts.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate will be an ambitious, independent researcher looking to make the next step in their career. We are looking for the following:

• PhD in cell biology, synthetic biology or a related field of biological sciences (essential).
• Strong background in molecular biology, cloning and genetic manipulation (essential).
• Prior experience with gene editing and/or cell engineering, such as CRISPR/Cas or related techniques (essential).
• Expertise with mammalian cell culture is desirable, but not mandatory; a strong background in bacterial or yeast engineering will also be considered if you are eager to apply that knowledge towards cultivated meat.
• Experience in relevant related techniques such as microscopy, transcriptomics or metabolomics (highly desirable).
• Strong collaboration, communication and project management skills.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

At TU Delft, people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, staff provide high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional.

Working at TU Delft means joining an international community of professionals and students. Together, they create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

Faculty Applied Sciences

The Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem focused on key enabling technologies such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion. Its scientists conduct fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 2 years.
• Temporary appointment.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• 232 leave hours per year at 38 hours, with the option to sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention to working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.
• Support for relocation to the Netherlands through the Coming to Delft Service, including information and events to help you settle in and expand your social network in Delft.
• A Dual Career Programme is available to support an accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Position is envisaged to start around the end of 2026.