Job Description

The Laboratory for Nanomaterials in Health focuses on the characterization, understanding and steering of interactions between particulate materials and human cells and tissues. The Laboratory is located in St. Gallen and provides not only expertise in the interdisciplinary field of particle safety assessment but also concerning applications for industry, biomedicine as well as regulatory authorities.

We are offering a

Master's Thesis position: Investigating the Impact of 2D Materials, Pesticides, and Chemicals on human barriers, e.g. intestinal and skin barrier using new in vitro co-culture models.

This research project is part of the EU Chiasma project, aiming to develop and demonstrate a comprehensive set of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and integrate them into a user-friendly, reliable, and robust framework for human and environmental safety evaluation in a regulatory context. In this particular project, one of the above mentioned NAMs (skin or intestine) will be used to assess the potential health risks associated with different chemicals, 2D materials, and pesticides. Safety assessment will be performed using methods such as MTT assays, sodium fluorescein size-exclusion assay, ELISA for evaluating potential inflammatory responses, histological staining, and other relevant techniques.

We are looking for a well-organized, highly self-motivated, and excellent candidate with a strong interest in this interdisciplinary research field. The candidate should hold a bachelor's degree in cell biology, biochemistry, biomedicine, life sciences, or a related field, and demonstrate a strong interest in evaluating novel NAMs as well as assessing the effects of environmental substances on biological systems. Additional assets include experience in project management, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative team spirit.

We offer a highly interdisciplinary research environment equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for conducting industrially relevant, cutting-edge research. Our young and continuously growing team consists of experienced technicians, scientists, postdocs, and PhD students, actively engaged and successful in various fields of nanomedical research.

The position is available from January 2026 or upon negotiation.

Interested applicants are invited to apply by submitting their application documents (CV and motivation letter) to beatrice.brugger@empa.ch

Art der Stelle: 100%

Ausbildung:

Bachelor/Diplom HF oder gleichwertig (Wunschenswert)
Arbeitsort: Vor Ort