Postdoc Mammalian Cell Engineering for Cultivated Meat

Are you ready to engineer and evolve the next generation of animal cell lines for cost-effective, scalable, delicious cruelty-free meat?!

Job description

'Cultivated meat’ the production of genuine meat products from in vitro culture of animal cells, is an emerging biotechnology within the field of cellular agriculture with the potential to revolutionise food production from both an environmental and ethical perspective. Unfortunately, higher eukaryotic cells in their unmodified state have severe limitations with respect to in vitro culture, presenting major challenges for the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cultivated meat bioprocesses. These include limited cellular lifespans, slow proliferation rates, demanding medium requirements and a preference for adherent growth, amongst others.

Cell engineering can solve these problems! We are hiring for multiple postdoctoral scientists to join the group for fully-funded projects of (an initial) 2 years. Within the Flack group, you will engineer and evolve bovine satellite cell lines with a variety of new and improved phenotypes, relating to (for example) suspension culture, signalling pathway activation and metabolic efficiency. Once new cell lines have been engineered and characterised, you will image them using a variety of microscopy methods, and collaborate with a team of computer vision scientists to build ML-based models for phenotype prediction, helping to accelerate the cell engineering cycle.

Within the scope of cell engineering for cultivated meat, there will be freedom to select and suggest your own research projects, and to become acquainted with new techniques and approaches. There will be ample opportunities to supervise PhD, MSc and BSc students in the group, and to become familiar with grant writing and funding acquisition. Careers advice and discussion will be available for both academic and industry-minded scientists. We are a friendly, collaborative group and are looking for highly motivated candidates with strong project management and communication skills. You will be joining a dynamic department with broad interests in biotechnology and synthetic biology across all domains of life.

For more information, please refer to the Flack Group website and/or get in touch. 

Job requirements 

We are looking to build a diverse and complementary project team.

• PhD in cell biology, synthetic biology or a related field of biological sciences (essential)
• Strong background in molecular biology, cloning and genetic manipulation (essential)
• Prior experience with gene editing and/or cell engineering (e.g. CRISPR/Cas or related techniques - essential)
• Expertise with mammalian cell culture is desirable (but not mandatory, a strong background in bacterial or yeast engineering will also be considered if you're eager to apply that knowledge towards cultivated meat!)
• Experience in relevant related techniques such as microscopy, transcriptomics or metabolomics (highly desirable)
• Strong collaboration, communication and project management skills 

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. 

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Applied Sciences 

With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. 

Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 2 years Temporary
• A job of 36-40 hours per week. 
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP. 
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year. 
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages. 
• Flexible working week. 
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget. 
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses. 
• Partially paid parental leave 
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program. 

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  . 

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Joshua Flack (J.E.Flack@tudelft.nl). Positions are envisaged to start in April-June 2026.      

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 1 december 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Your CV and cover letter. 

The next step in the process, if you are selected, will involve the completion of a short task in the week of 1st December. If you know you will not be available in that week, you should apply by 24th November and contact Josh by email to make special arrangements.

You can address your application to Dr. Joshua Flack.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.