Student Projects
Please check also the groups' websites for student projects that are not listed here yet.
Master Project/Thesis: Investigation of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Carbon Fiber Hydrogel for Wearable Devices
(see attached pdf for clarification)
Project overview:
Focus: fabrication process of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carbon fiber (CF) hydrogel
Aim: building a hydrogel that possesses both good conductivity and good stretchability, with the end goal of using it for wearable devices
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Master's Thesis Project: Soft tribology with self-built "macroAFM"
This project builds on an existing proof-of-concept device, "macroAFM", a large-scale equivalent of an atomic force microscope that works as a tribometer to study friction, wear, and lubrication properties between surfaces at the macro- or meso-scale.
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Single-cell Encapsulation for RNA Sequencing
This project focuses on understanding the metabolism of bacteria exposed to an enzymatic inhibitor. By employing microfluidic systems, we aim to perform a single-based encapsulation in hydrogel beads to be exposed to inhibitors. Using FACS-based sorting and bulk sequencing, bacteria in hydrogel beads will be sorted and the RNA from pool or individual beads will be extracted for sequencing. We aim to create an RNA sequencing protocol for sorted hydrogel beads containing bacteria to analyze the total gene expression profiles of our candidates.
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pH Quantification in Emulsified Droplets for High-Throughput Screening
This project focuses on finding a suitable emulsification system for encapsulating bacteria in water-in-oil droplets. By employing microfluidic systems and versatile pH dyes, we aim to create emulsified droplets with reduced crosstalk rates to screen bacteria based on the pH changes as a result of their metabolic activity.
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Biomineralization of Hydrogels-Based Structures
Currently, the mineralization capacity of S. pasteurii is being exploited in developing construction materials in the form of bio-bricks and bio-cement. These materials are mostly compact structures with different degrees of porosity to increase the diffusion of nutrients through the material. Nevertheless, one recurrent challenge in biomineralized structures is the limited precipitation across the structure.
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Open Position - Master Thesis: Synthesis and characterization of doped-tungsten oxides
The project is centered on the sol-gel synthesis of tungsten oxides, the characterization of their plasmonic properties and their application in a nanophotonic device.
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Can we consider spore as ellipsoid polystyrene particles? – Characterization of ellipsoid polystyrene particles
This research focuses on understanding the colloidal behaviour of bacterial spores through diverse characterization techniques. Your work will focus on characterizing ellipsoid polystyrene particles instead of Bacillus subtilis spores. The same characterization experiments had already been conducted on Bacillus subtilis spores, providing valuable experience with the required procedures.
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Living Composite Material
Microorganisms that can be found everywhere in our environment are able to produce a variety of molecules from very simple precursors. Some of the products synthetized by bacteria are materials with fascinating properties such as cellulose with excellent mechanical properties. Materials produced by living cells are attractive because they are produced with minimal energy input and are based on green chemicals. Moreover, if well-designed, these materials still contain the living cells and are thus able to react onto external stimuli. Therefore, they have the potential to repair themselves upon damage or form materials with locally defined microstructures and architectures.
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