Research Technician

Join our team as a research technician and work with cutting-edge technologies including organ-on-chip systems, kidney organoids, stem cell cultures and functional assays. Within two multidisciplinary consortia, your work will contribute to bioartificial kidney technologies and next-generation antibody-based therapies.

Your job

As a research technician in the Division of Pharmacology at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, you will contribute to the development, optimization, and application of advanced human-relevant in vitro models for biomedical research and therapeutic innovation.

You will work in two multidisciplinary consortia: NanoKid and PHARMIGA.

NanoKid aims to develop key building blocks for future bioartificial kidney technologies. Within this project, you will support the development of advanced renal tubule-on-chip systems that reproduce essential kidney functions such as solute transport, secretion, and reabsorption. You will work with kidney cell lines and organoids, as well as microfluidic platforms, and contribute to cell expansion, differentiation, functional characterization, and integration into organ-on-chip devices.

PHARMIGA is a national initiative focused on accelerating the development of next-generation IgA-based therapeutics. Within this project, you will help establish and operate advanced in vitro platforms. Your work will support the validation and application of organ-on-chip, organoid, and co-culture systems for testing the efficacy, safety, and delivery of innovative antibody-based therapies.

In both projects, you will be embedded in multidisciplinary consortia consisting of researchers, clinicians, engineers, and industrial partners. You will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technologies including organ-on-chip systems, stem cell and organoid cultures, bioreactors, advanced microscopy, and functional assays. Your contributions to these projects will directly support the development of innovative technologies that aim to improve drug development, reduce animal testing, and advance future therapeutic solutions.

Your key responsibilities

• Maintain and expand mammalian cell cultures, stem cell-derived cultures, and organoids.
• Perform biological experiments in 2D and 3D culture systems.
• Support the development and operation of organ-on-chip and microfluidic platforms.
• Perform functional characterization using microscopy, molecular biology, transport, and biochemical assays.
• Contribute to experimental design, data collection, analysis, and documentation.
• Maintain laboratory stocks, protocols, and quality standards.
• Support interactions with consortium partners and external users of the developed infrastructure.

Your qualities

We are looking for a candidate who is eager to learn new techniques and does not shy away from challenges. You are keen to contribute to state-of-the-art research and enjoy working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment. We would also like you to bring the following:

• ABSc/HBO or MSc in Biomedical Sciences, Tissue Engineering, Life Sciences, Biotechnology or a related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in at least one of the following: mammalian cell culture, cellular upscaling, organoid culture, cellular transport assays, or genetic engineering.
• Experience with, or a strong interest in developing skills in, microfluidics or tissue engineering.
• The ability to plan and prioritize your work, manage multiple activities across projects, and adapt to changing priorities.
• An accurate and careful approach to experimental work, with attention to quality and documentation.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills in English.

Our offer

• a position for one year, with the possibility of a three-year extension following a positive evaluation;
• a gross monthly salary, depending on qualifications and experience, between € 3.537 and €4.673 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 8 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU)). Depending on qualifications and experience, salary scale 7 may apply to candidates with a more junior profile;
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

About us

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Working at the Faculty of Science means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together, we work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn and discover how you can become part of our community.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Utrecht University is responsible for innovative teaching in the fields of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, and it carries out high-quality research, both in the field of pharmaceutical sciences and in adjacent fields. The research themes chosen are often inspired by social questions, in particular those relating to healthcare. The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences pursues an active policy with regard to the protection and exploitation of knowledge, and also acts as a centre of knowledge for social organisations.

You will be embedded in the Pharmacology division within the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), the research institute of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. UIPS focuses on processes around discovery, development, and use of drugs and medical nutrition using molecular and technological principles from the Natural and Life Sciences. This research is ideally positioned in the Faculty of Science to work on basic scientific problems and to translate new findings into potential solutions to urgent societal medical needs, which are addressed in the Faculties of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Every year, around 400 peer-reviewed articles are published and around 30 PhD candidates defend their thesis. UIPS is partner in several open-source innovation networks.

More information

For more information, please contact Dr. Anne Metje van Genderen at a.m.vangenderen@uu.nl

Do you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to science.recruitment@uu.nl.

Apply now

At Utrecht University, we strive to be a place where everyone feels at home. We value colleagues with different backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including differences in culture, religion or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability and age. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute. Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion. If you have any questions about accessibility, for example regarding your workplace David de Wiedgebouw, the application process or your work, please contact us via our HR contact page.

To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, including a letter of motivation, via the ‘apply now’ button.

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