Project description
Spider silk has an elegant way of combining strength and elasticity into a protein-based material. A miniature spider silk protein, 4RepCT, can be recombinantly produced in E. coli and still maintain the ability to spontaneously form silk-like fibers. The silk has been genetically modified to contain the cell binding motif from fibronectin and was previously shown feasible to be processed into 3D structures that support cell attachment and growth. The aim of the project is to develop a skin construct based on such functionalized spider silk. Skin derived cells (fibroblasts, endothelial cells and keratinocytes) will be seeded in the silk, allowed to expand, rearrange and differentiate to form an engineered tissue mimicking skin. Cellular distribution, viability, vascularization and differentiation of the cells will be evaluated.

Methods
The project includes several different techniques, like primary cell culture, scaffolding techniques, sectioning and cell analysis (e.g. viability, attachment, immunofluorescence, IHC etc.)

Terms
Scope: 30 hp
Placement: The Master thesis project should be performed at KTH Biotechnology, Albanova, while some experiments could be performed at RISE site at KTH campus.
Start date: The anticipated start of the project is during spring 2020.

The project is a part of collaboration between KTH, company Spiber and the centre NextBioForm coordinated by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.The purpose of NextBioForm is to improve medicines from the perspective of patient and health care, and to contribute to Sweden's innovation capacity. Find out more at https://www.ri.se/en/nextbioform.

Welcome with your application!
For more information about the project, please contact Mona Widhe, PhD, Senior researcher, +46 8 790 99 45 or My Hedhammar, Professor, +46 8 790 99 55; https://www.kth.se/profile/myh. Last day for application is 6th of March 2020.

Master thesis, Biotechnology, Biomaterials, In-vitro skin, Cell culture, Recombinant proteins

City Stockholm
County Stockholms län
Country Sweden
Reference number 2019/358
Contact
  • Mona Widhe, +46 8 790 99 45
  • My Hedhammar, +46 8 790 99 55
Union representative
  • Lazaros Tsantaridis, Sveriges Ingenjörer, 010-516 62 21
  • Linda Ikatti, Unionen, 010-516 51 61
Last application date 06.Mar.2020 11:59 PM CET

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