PhD: Living Hydrogels Shaping Cell–Matrix Interactions

Maastricht University; Maastricht; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12-month contract

Salary range €3,204–€4,051

Holiday allowance 8%

Year-end bonus 8.3%

29 vacation days

Extra days off

Pension ABP

Fitness schemes

Sports facilities

Inspiring work environment

Job summary

Maastricht University invites applications for a fully funded 4-year PhD position focusing on cell–matrix interactions in dynamic hydrogels. The project sits in the BioMatt group as part of MERLN’s IBE department, blending chemistry, polymer design, and cell biology to engineer living materials that cells can actively modify.

The candidate will design supramolecular hydrogels, study cell responses in 2D/3D, and pursue mechanobiology questions with cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• MSc (or equivalent) in Biomaterials, Polymer Chemistry, Tissue Engineering, Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering or related field.
• Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture or biomaterials design including polymer functionalization and soft matter characterization.
• Experience studying cells with biomaterials, hydrogels, extracellular-matrix models, or engineered microenvironments.
• Strong interest in mechanobiology and relating cell behavior to material properties.
• Ability to document experiments clearly, analyze data, troubleshoot protocols, and communicate across disciplines.
• Experience with extracellular-matrix deposition or engineered living materials is a plus.
• Excellent command of scientific English (CEFR C1).

Responsibilities

• Design and create supramolecular hydrogels with controlled biofunctionalization.
• Establish 2D and 3D cell culture workflows in hydrogels.
• Investigate how stiffness, stress relaxation, network architecture affect cell behavior.
• Study presentation and accessibility of ligands on cells.
• Examine cell–matrix remodeling and material changes over time.
• Collaborate with team to evaluate engineered cells in hydrogel environments.
• Contribute to experimental design, data analysis, publications, and supervision of students.

Skills

experimental planning

cell biology

mechanobiology

documentation

english proficiency

Education

MSc in Biomaterials/Polymer Chemistry/Tissue Engineering/Cell Biology

Job description

Maastricht University invites applications for a fully funded 4-year PhD position focusing on cell–matrix interactions in dynamic hydrogels. The project sits in the BioMatt group as part of MERLN’s IBE department, blending chemistry, polymer design, and cell biology to engineer living materials that cells can actively modify.

The candidate will design supramolecular hydrogels, study cell responses in 2D/3D, and pursue mechanobiology questions with cross-disciplinary collaboration.