[Translate to English:] Organ on a Chip

Research Areas and Projects

AIM

ENROL aims at engineering functional interfaces between inorganic and bio-organic systems in order to push them towards new levels of understanding and technological applications. We thus propose a combined and synergistic effort based on the following three research areas (RA):

  • RA1: Theoretical Prediction, Model Systems, and Analysis (Research Projects 1 to 7): Self-assembly of bio-molecules into desired structures requires a deeper understanding of the interactions of the constituent entities. Here, theoretical approaches (Bianchi, Kahl, Hellmich, Grosu) and the study of model systems (Valtiner) are indispensable to predict these properties. Eventually, new approaches as developed in RA2 demand for new data analysis strategies (Heitzinger, Sablatnig).

Partner organizations: (i) CEST, Labdia GmbH, Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (ii) Utrecht University, Mines/University of Lyon.

  • RA2: Synthesis, Structuring & Instrumentation (Research Projects 8 to 15): Surfaces will be engineered via synthetic polymer chemistry (Baudis, Mihovilovic) or by using techniques based on the self-assembly of (bio‑) molecules and colloidal particles (Sevcsik, Bianchi). Two-photon polymerization will be used to generate 3-dimensionally structured materials (Ovsianikov, Baudis). New chemistry will open the pathway to defined functionalization (Mikula). Novel multimodal imaging approaches will be established for (automated) quantification of (multi-)cellular responses (Schütz, Ertl, Lendl, Marchetti-Deschmann, Thurner, Birner-Grünberger).

Partner organizations: (i) Tagworks, SAICO, GenSpeed, TissUse, Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Optics11, Lithoz (ii) MedUni Wien, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, ETH,   BINA, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital

  • RA3: Biological Applications (Reasearch Projects 16 to 24): Synthesis and structuring will be guided by specific biological applications. They will be used as experimental validation systems, which enable us to refine and continuously improve the novel interfaces based on functional cell biological readout models, such as multicellular clusters (Ovsianikov, Guillaume, Andriotis), immune cells (Schütz, Sevcsik, Herwig), funghi (Mach, Aigner-Mach), neurons (Wanzenböck), and cardiomyocytes (Birner-Grünberger). 

Partner organizations: (i) 3Helix, Optics11, TissUse, Poietis, Novogymes, Clycostem (ii) MedUni Wien, Agroscope.

These three research areas are highly interconnected to leverage continuous exchange of the latest results and transfer of know-how between the different groups. In consequence, each PhD project is embedded in a stimulating research environment, which will facilitate a continuous process of project adjustments in order to improve the developed materials, the chosen experimental approaches, and the established theoretical prediction algorithms.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Candidates may also propose their own PhD research project, i.e., different from the ones proposed below. In this case the candidates should first establish contact with the supervisor representing this research field and ask for a letter in support of the project, which they will upload together with a summary of the proposed research project. An Ethics Support Team is also in place to assist the candidates during the preparation of their proposed research project should they choose not to apply for one of the proposed ones.

Acknowledgement

Engineering for Life Sciences - Doctoral Programme

ENROL

Research Project 1: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 1

Supervisor

Gerhard Kahl

Self-assembly of biological, bio-related and colloidal macromolecules

The primary aim of this research project is to help guide with computer simulations and artificial intelligence algorithms experimentalists to design and to synthesize biological, bio-related and colloidal macromolecules that self-assemble into desired target structures. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 2: AVAILABLE

[Translate to English:] Research Project 2

Supervisor

Christian Hellmich

Atoms-to-beam homogenization of biomacromolecules

The primary aim of this research project is to help to guide with computer simulations and artificial intelligence algorithms experimentalists to design and to synthesize biological, bio-related and colloidal macromolecules that self-assemble into desired target structures. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 3: AVAILABLE

[Translate to English:] Research Project 3

Supervisor

Emanuela Bianchi

Design of anisotropic DNA origami nanoparticles for programmed self-assembly

The primary aim of this research project to precisely tackle the design principles that govern the self-assembly of functionalized DNA-origami as building blocks of tailored materials. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 4: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 4

Supervisor

Markus Valtiner

Soft matter in confinement and under potential control

The primary aim of this research project is to measure and simulate consequences of confinement and approach of two cell membranes, while varying their surface potential. Structures and forces will be evaluated, mediated by the assembly of polymeric model compounds that resemble typical plasma membrane structures. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 5: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 5

Supervisor

Radu Grosu

Reinforcement and Supervised Learning with Neural Circuit Policies

The purpose of this research project is to develop supervised and reinforcement learning techniques for NCPs, and apply them in the control of the autonomous microscopy system for adaptive experimentation in cell biology, available in the lab of our project partner Gerhard Schütz. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 9: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 9

Supervisor

Marko Mihovilovic

A Generic Approach for Target Identification of Natural Products Employing a Tandem Photoaffinity-Clicking Strategy

The primary aim of this research project involves the synthetic implementation of the multi-functional platform exemplified on currently worked on natural compound targets in the area of lignans with anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, stereoselective synthetic access to natural product molecules of interest shall be established and optimized in order to also enable structure-activity profiling and scaffold development. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 10: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 10

Supervisor

Hannes Mikula

Bioorthogonal Turn-off and Dual-release

This PhD project focuses on the development of bioorthogonal bond-cleavage reactions with unmatched chemical performance and unique capabilities. The candidate will design, prepare and investigate next-generation chemical tools that achieve exceptional reaction kinetics, high stability, selectivity and biocompatibility. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 11: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 11

Supervisor

Martina Marchetti-Deschmann

Multimodal imaging – a picture says more than a thousand datapoints

The primary aim of this PhD thesis is to determine UV effects on epidermal keratinocytes and the extracellular matrix (mainly collagen) by using different analytical imaging modalities in order to achieve holistic information on UV damage in the tissue context upon correlation of generated data. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 12: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 12

Supervisor

Philipp Thurner

Development of a constitutive model of individual collagen fibrils informed by experiments

The goals of this research project is the characterization of the nanomechanical properties of the collagen fibrils, the development of a corresponding constitutive model for collagen fibrils as well as the parameter determination and validation.

 

Research Project 13: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 13

Supervisor

Gerhard Schütz

Development of an Autonomous Microscopy Platform for Adaptive Experimentation in Cell Biology

The aim of this research project is to develop an autonomous microscopy system, which enables the automated interpretation of cell biological images, and – based on a set of user-defined rules – a corresponding response exerted on the cell by the microscopy system. The autonomous system will be based on a combined super-resolution – atomic force microscopy setup, which shall be used for studying early T cell activation. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 14: AVAILABLE

[Translate to English:] Research Project 14

Supervisor

Bernhard Lendl

Next Generation Super-resolution Chemical Imaging

The aim of this research project is the design and construction of a novel, mid-IR laser based set-up for photothermal spectroscopy and imaging below the diffraction limit as well as the application of the developed set-ups to a variety of different samples available within ENROL ranging from aqueous solutions, cells to biological materials (bones, joints etc.). Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

 

Research Project 15: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 15

Supervisor

Peter Ertl

CellChemChip – Multi-dimensional Tracing of Cells & Molecules

This study aims to combine the key strengths of 3D cell biology, lab-on-a-chip systems, bioorthogonal chemistry, and molecular imaging to enable new approaches to study crucial processes with molecular precision; literally at the interface of chemistry (molecules) and biology (cells).

Research Project 16: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 16

Supervisor

Aleksandr Ovsianikov

Controlled Vascularization for Organ-on-Chips

The primary aim of this PhD thesis is to develop a versatile toolset to create controlled microvascular networks in different tissues. The outcomes of this work have the potential to revolutionize the Organ-on-Chip field. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 17: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 17

Supervisor

Orestis Andriotis

Micromechanical assessment of cell clusters

The primary aim of this research project is to develop, build, validate and use an instrument for micro- and nanoscale mechanical characterization of cell clusters. The development and realization of the instrument will in a large part be based on a recently developed prototype for nanotensile testing. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 19: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 19

Supervisor

Robert Mach

An albino Aureobasidium pullulans for biotechnological application (ALABAMA)

The primary aim of this research project is to understand which regulatory pathways and mechanisms (cAMP signaling, MAP kinase pathway, epigenetic mechanisms, yet unknowns, etc.) are responsible for the production of pullulan and melanin in A. pullulans. Ultimately, this knowledge shall contribute to the design of strain that produce melanin-free pullulan. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 20: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 20

Supervisor

Astrid Mach-Aigner

Secretory stress management in Trichoderma reesei

This research project focuses on studying the expression of cellulases by the industrially employed fungus Trichoderma reesei. The major aim is to learn whether the unwanted reduction of transcript levels of genes coding for these cellulases happens in T. reesei only at a transcriptional level, possibly by a mechanism called RESS (repression under secretion stress), or also on a post-transcriptional level. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 21: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 21

Supervisor

Eva Sevcsik

Stimuli-responsive nanostructured biointerfaces for T-cell activation

The aim of this research project is to probe the molecular mechanisms of early T-cell signaling. Generating 3D DNA origami structures will allow to manipulate the axial position of ligands; heterobifunctional DNA origami structures will be employed to decipher the effect of co-receptors and antagonists. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 22: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 22

Supervisor

Ruth Birner-Gruenberger

Functional Proteomics of GliFlozin Drug (Off) Targets

The primary aim of this research project is to elucidate the cellular effects and molecular mechanism of gliflozins on cardiomyocytes. To this end, the ESR will use cardiomyocyte cell models and perform functional phenotyping. Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.

Research Project 23: ALREADY ASSIGNED

[Translate to English:] Research Project 23

Supervisor

Heinz Wanzenboeck

Electrophysiology on a Microchip

This research project focuses on the development of a beating human mini-heart on a microelectronic chipby using the unique capabilities of microfabrication  to (i) replicate the in-vivo environment of the human organism on a microchip and (ii) utilize electrical recordings with the microelectrodes on the chip to monitor the beating activity of a human “miniature heart” (aka cardioid). Click here, opens a file in a new window for more information.