Student Projects
If you are interest in a project in the laboratory, feel free to contact any member even if no project is posted in SiROP
Transparent acosutofluidic device for high throughput microtissue imaging
Microtissues are multi-cellular 3D constructs that can mimic the structure and function of the native tissues, making them important 3D models for drug testing and personalized medicine. However, when embedded in hydrogels, their random placement makes it difficult to image them and have reproducible results. In this project, we aim to design, fabricate and test a transparent acoustofluidic device for precise patterning of live microtissues in photo-cross-linkable gel for high throughput imaging and analysis.
Keywords
Acoustofluidics, Medical device, Cell culture, Photo-cross-linkable gel
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-09-12 , Earliest start: 2025-09-22 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Joshi Saumitra
Topics Engineering and Technology
Life cycle analysis on living materials for CO2 sequestration
Hey there! Do you know that bacteria can be powerful fighters for CO2 capture? (Not kidding, they are really useful). Recently, engineered living materials embedded with photosynthetic cyanobacteria has been designed to permanently store atmospheric CO2 in the form of stable minerals such as calcium carbonate [1]. While it is a promising alternative to industrial carbon capture and storage methods, the production of such living materials still incurs process-related CO2 emission. To better understand the bottleneck and the most emission-heavy part of the living materials, we plan to conduct life-cycle analysis (LCA) on the living materials. [1] Dranseike, D., Cui, Y., Ling, A. S., Donat, F., Bernhard, S., Bernero, M., ... & Tibbitt, M. W. (2025). Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials. Nature Communications, 16(1), 3832.
Keywords
life cycle analysis, living materials, carbon sequestration
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Semester Project , Internship , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-08-28 , Earliest start: 2025-05-30 , Latest end: 2026-06-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cui Yifan
Topics Engineering and Technology
PDMS-Based Bioreactor Investigating Cell Behavior in Response to Hydrostatic Pressure and Substrate Stiffness
Introduction and Background Skin cells dynamically respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, which influence critical processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. By understanding this interplay, mechanical and biochemical stimuli may be used in the future to facilitate the growth of skin patches, tissue formation, and organ regeneration, enabling new therapies and benefiting patients. The study of these responses, mechanobiology, requires advanced in-vitro systems to emulate physiological conditions. This project utilizes a device designed for controlled manipulation of hydrostatic pressure (0.1–1.5 kPa) and substrate stiffness (0.1–100 kPa). The system facilitates isolated and scalable experiments to analyze how the interplay of these mechanical parameters affects cell behavior. In this thesis, the student will use this system to investigate how different stimuli affect cell behavior.
Keywords
Bioreactor, tissue engineering, organ regeneration
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-08-05 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-05
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Binz Jonas
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
Development of a pH sensitive gel for cell culture systems
Measuring pH is paramount when studying cells as even small changes around the cells can tell us a lot about their current state. By investigating this environment, we can learn more about how cells work. This project looks at a special gel which changes its optical properties (changes its color) based on spatial pH changes. Using the gel, cell states can be assessed in real time.
Keywords
Chemistry, Polymerisation, Cell Cultures, Hydrogels, pH, Sensor
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-04 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01 , Latest end: 2026-07-01
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Binz Jonas
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
Injectable polyrotaxane-based hydrogels for controlled drug delivery
Hydrogels are widely investigated materials for versatile biomedical applications. In particular, hydrogels are a good drug delivery system for controlled drug release. In this project, polyrotaxane-based hydrogels are developed and tested for their ability to deliver model compounds in a controlled way. The main goal of the project is to design and fabricate polyrotaxane-based hydrogels, characterize their mechanical properties (rheology) and perform release studies with model compounds. Suitable for master thesis, bachelor thesis and semester project.
Keywords
Injectable hydrogels, drug delivery, supramolecular interactions
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-30 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Petelinsek Nika
Topics Engineering and Technology