JOB DESCRIPTION

This role is a fantastic opportunity to advance your career and contribute to research that could shape the future of biotechnology. Biotechnology is at the forefront of advancing sustainability and microbial fermentation holds immense potential in addressing global challenges in energy and the environment. One key area of focus is optimising bioprocesses for industrial applications, such as bio-based production and energy conversion. Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is pioneering innovative techniques to accelerate these developments, particularly by integrating real-time spectroscopic monitoring to enhance bioreactor performance.
As a Research Technician in Off-Gas Spectroscopy for Suspension Cultures, you will be an integral part of an exciting collaboration between TU Delft and the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder). This partnership is focused on applying advanced off-gas spectroscopy to two major types of bioprocesses: microbial fermentation in suspension and biofilm-based microbial electrosynthesis. Your work will contribute to improving the understanding and optimisation of these processes, helping to make industrial biotechnology more efficient and sustainable.
You will work with cutting-edge technologies, supporting hardware integration between bioreactors and sensor systems. Additionally, you will perform data analysis and support automation. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve culturing pure microbial strains, operating bioreactors and performing key spectroscopy analyses. You’ll be part of an interdisciplinary team for 2.5 years, working closely with researchers, PhD candidates, postdocs and fellow technicians from both TU Delft and CU Boulder.
The research groups in which you will work focus on microbial physiology, metabolic strategies and the application of data-driven bioprocess development. Together, these groups aim to bridge their worlds to foster innovation in biotechnology. In this role, you will help to facilitate the research and have a meaningful societal impact, improving the sustainability of industrial biotechnologies and scaling up bioprocesses.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

You are an experienced lab technician who thrives in collaborative settings and enjoys creative problem-solving within cutting-edge research projects. With a strong technical background and a curious, proactive mindset, you will contribute to both the experimental and data-driven aspects of the project. You work well in a multicultural team and can share theoretical knowledge and technical know-how with team members at every level.

You also have:

• A Higher Professional Education (HBO, or higher) in a relevant field, such as biotechnology, microbiology, biochemical engineering, analytical (bio)chemistry or a similar discipline.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of analytical techniques like HPLC, GC and MS.
• Experience working in fermentation laboratories and operating bioreactors.
• Basic knowledge of spectroscopy technologies, such as FT-IR or Raman, or a clear motivation to learn.
• Hands-on experience with data collection, integration and analysis, especially in a laboratory setting.
• A good command of English, as the work will be conducted in an international setting. Proficiency in Dutch would be an asset but is not required.

Please refer the Job description for details