Research Associate in Bioengineering

An exciting and fully funded Research Associate position is available for an outstanding, ambitious candidate to join the Domingos Group at the Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester. The successful candidate will work on an industry-funded programme, focusing on the development of decellularised tissue constructs and hybrid biomaterial systems for wound healing and musculoskeletal repair applications.

You will be responsible for:

• Perform physicochemical, histological, mechanical, and structural characterisation of decellularised tissue membranes and hybrid constructs supplied by industrial partner
• Conduct biological validation across dermal and tendon repair models, including fibroblast, keratinocyte, tenocyte, and tendon-derived cell viability, proliferation, attachment, and migration assessments
• Execute in vitro wound healing assays including scratch assay and transwell migration studies to evaluate wound closure kinetics and re-epithelialisation potential
• Assess tenogenic differentiation including gene expression profiling of tendon-specific markers and collagen fibril alignment analysis
• Perform ECM proteomic profiling and pro-tenogenic secretome analysis across construct systems

The successful candidate will be embedded within a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment at the interface of biomaterials science, cell biology, proteomics, and translational bioengineering.

About You

We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate:

Essential Criteria:

• PhD (or near completion) in biomaterials, biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, materials science, or a closely related discipline
• Hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture, including primary cells or established cell lines relevant to dermal or musculoskeletal biology
• Demonstrated experience in biomaterials characterisation including mechanical testing, rheology, and spectroscopic methods
• Practical experience with histological techniques (e.g. H&E, Masson’s trichrome, immunostaining)
• Experience with cell viability assays, proliferation assays, and migration assays (scratch assay, transwell)

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience with decellularisation techniques or characterisation of extracellular matrix scaffolds
• Familiarity with ECM proteomic analysis, including sample preparation for mass spectrometry
• Experience with tenogenic or dermal fibroblast differentiation models
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications and/or conference presentations

The role offers rich professional development opportunities through regular team meetings, joint training sessions, and direct industry engagement, alongside access to world-class characterisation facilities.

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy.

Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews

Name: Marco Domingos

Email Address: marco.domingos@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries and administrative support

recruitmentservices.people@manchester.ac.uk

Technical and job portal support

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars (with person specification) linked below.