Project Overview

Rapid and sensitive detection of low-abundance pathogens is required for many fields, including infectious disease, environment surveillance and food safety monitoring. However, the low abundance (<10/mL) of pathogens in large-volume crude samples critically limits the detection performance of even the most sensitive technique like digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR). Therefore, an efficient enrichment of low-abundance pathogens from crude samples is critical to improving downstream detection. Prof. Jongyoon Han (Principal Investigator under SMART AMR and CAMP IRGs) and Dr. Yaoping Liu (Senior Postdoctoral Associate under Prof. Han) team has developed an efficient electrostatic microfiltration (EM)-based sample processing to realize the detection of low abundance bacteria (<10 CFU) from an ultra-large volume (as high as 500 mL). Recently, the team is working on various samples to expand the impact and has received quite a few collaboration requests from both academic institute and company. There requires some optimization/customization of the system for different samples and interfaces with different downstream detection platforms.

For more information: https://www.rle.mit.edu/micronano/

Responsibilities

This Research Engineer will join the abovementioned optimization of the EM-based processing of different samples including wastewater, soil sediment or clinical biofluids to interface with downstream detectors including digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), nanopore sequencing. Once the workflow optimized, the Research Engineer will perform the sample preparation collaborating with different groups under instruction of the supervisor. The goal is to significantly (by at least 2-3 orders of magnitudes) increase the detection sensitivity and decrease the assay time by implementing better sample separation and concentration. This topic is focused and pursued in both the fundamental research and industry areas. There will be opportunity to go to international conference for exchange and collaboration enhancement.

Requirements

Minimum Degree in bioengineering, biological science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and other relevant background

Strong hands-on ability to carry out bacterial/fungal culture-related wetlab and molecular biology (PCR and sequencing) processes. The project supervisor will give a training about the above processes, but a previous experience is a bonus.

Hands-on ability to carry out the micro/nano device operation is a bonus, and will be the mainly training direction upon joinning the project.

Good communication skills to work with researchers from biological / clinical / engineering backgrounds.

Responsibility to fulfill complete experimental records, timely analyze experimental data and report to the supervisor.

Patience to run biological / engineering replicates to optimize and evaluate the workflow.

Able and committed to work in Singapore.

This is a contract position until end of September 2024 with possibility of extension.

If you want to find out more about the role, please contact Dr. Yaoping Liu (liu.yaoping@smart.mit.edu)