About the placement
This internship is with Smart MC’s and is facilitated by the CSIRO’s Generation STEM Links program.
This project aims to design and develop animal-free hydrogels for organoid culture and drug screening. Traditional hydrogels often rely on animal-derived components, introducing variability and ethical issues. By creating synthetic (fully defined) or natural polymers hydrogels, the research will provide a consistent environment for organoid growth, improving the accuracy of in vitro human tissue models. Additionally, these hydrogels will enhance high-throughput drug screening, offering a more reliable platform for preclinical drug testing and advancing regenerative medicine and pharmacology. This project will be conducted in collaboration with UNSW.
This project will provide the student with comprehensive research and development skills in developing animal-free hydrogels for organoid culture, encompassing biochemistry, cell biology and polymer chemistry. The student will gain insights into commercialisation and intellectual property strategies, including market needs assessment and IP protection. The interdisciplinary nature of the project promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration, enhancing communication and integration of diverse expertise. Industry-relevant techniques such as hydrogel synthesis, biomolecule functionalisation, and advanced cell culture methods tailored for organoids will be learned.
Successful students may be considered for a PhD program, therefore an interest in completing a PhD in early 2025 are a requirement for the role.
Work arrangements
- Start date: September/ early October, 2024
- Working arrangement: Part time or Casual on a fixed term contract (200 hours), with the possibility for further employment for the right candidate.
- Remuneration: $25/hour plus super on a temporary contract with Smart MC’s
- Location: Ultimo, Sydney
Desired capabilities
- Must be in the final year of an undergraduate degree with a background in biochemistry and cell biology.
- Knowledge of polymer chemistry and material science is highly desirable
- Strong communication skills to collaborate across disciplines
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Genuine desire to pursue a PhD in 2025
- Commitment to ethical research practices and a passion for advancing regenerative medicine and drug development.
Requirements
- Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- This role is short term project for screening potential candidates to be enrolled in an Industrially sponsored PhD position in early 2025. Thus, we will only consider applicants who are interested to further pursue their career into a PhD Program in the coming year.
- This is a confidential project and applicants will be required to sign non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and IP-Assignment deed with Smart MCs
About the industry partner
Smart MCs is biotechnology and fast-growing startup that specialises in advancing innovative methods for the scaling up cell cultivation at a large scale, with a particular focus on cellular agriculture and cellular therapeutic. In other words, we enable the means for growing cells in laboratory without the animal which can be used for range applications including lab-grown meat, regenerative medicine and vaccine production.
At Smart MCs, we consider cultivating a diverse workforce of imaginative individuals to be key to achieving our daring vision. Together, we strive for a world where science is utilised in a responsible manner, promoting positive outcomes for both industry and the environment.
Apply
If you are interested in this internship, please submit your EOI and CV online through the Student Application webform and please specify CODE0041F
About the placement
This internship is with Smart MC’s and is facilitated by the CSIRO’s Generation STEM Links program.
This project aims to design and develop animal-free hydrogels for organoid culture and drug screening. Traditional hydrogels often rely on animal-derived components, introducing variability and ethical issues. By creating synthetic (fully defined) or natural polymers hydrogels, the research will provide a consistent environment for organoid growth, improving the accuracy of in vitro human tissue models. Additionally, these hydrogels will enhance high-throughput drug screening, offering a more reliable platform for preclinical drug testing and advancing regenerative medicine and pharmacology. This project will be conducted in collaboration with UNSW.
This project will provide the student with comprehensive research and development skills in developing animal-free hydrogels for organoid culture, encompassing biochemistry, cell biology and polymer chemistry. The student will gain insights into commercialisation and intellectual property strategies, including market needs assessment and IP protection. The interdisciplinary nature of the project promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration, enhancing communication and integration of diverse expertise. Industry-relevant techniques such as hydrogel synthesis, biomolecule functionalisation, and advanced cell culture methods tailored for organoids will be learned.
Successful students may be considered for a PhD program, therefore an interest in completing a PhD in early 2025 are a requirement for the role.
Work arrangements
- Start date: September/ early October, 2024
- Working arrangement: Part time or Casual on a fixed term contract (200 hours), with the possibility for further employment for the right candidate.
- Remuneration: $25/hour plus super on a temporary contract with Smart MC’s
- Location: Ultimo, Sydney
Desired capabilities
- Must be in the final year of an undergraduate degree with a background in biochemistry and cell biology.
- Knowledge of polymer chemistry and material science is highly desirable
- Strong communication skills to collaborate across disciplines
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Genuine desire to pursue a PhD in 2025
- Commitment to ethical research practices and a passion for advancing regenerative medicine and drug development.
Requirements
- Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- This role is short term project for screening potential candidates to be enrolled in an Industrially sponsored PhD position in early 2025. Thus, we will only consider applicants who are interested to further pursue their career into a PhD Program in the coming year.
- This is a confidential project and applicants will be required to sign non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and IP-Assignment deed with Smart MCs
About the industry partner
Smart MCs is biotechnology and fast-growing startup that specialises in advancing innovative methods for the scaling up cell cultivation at a large scale, with a particular focus on cellular agriculture and cellular therapeutic. In other words, we enable the means for growing cells in laboratory without the animal which can be used for range applications including lab-grown meat, regenerative medicine and vaccine production.
At Smart MCs, we consider cultivating a diverse workforce of imaginative individuals to be key to achieving our daring vision. Together, we strive for a world where science is utilised in a responsible manner, promoting positive outcomes for both industry and the environment.
Apply
If you are interested in this internship, please submit your EOI and CV online through the Student Application webform and please specify CODE0041F