Postdoctoral Scientist; s in In Vitro Diagnostics, Electrochemistry​/Electronic Engineering

Organisation/Company ETH Zürich Research Field Biological sciences ′ Other Chemistry ′ Other Engineering ′ Biomedical engineering Engineering ′ Other Technology ′ Biotechnology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Final date to receive applications 13 Apr 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Part-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Postdoctoral Scientist(s) in In Vitro Diagnostics, Electrochemistry / Electronic Engineering

Dr Daniel

A. Richards and Professor Andrew J. de Mello, in the Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering at ETH Zürich, are searching for two postdoctoral researchers to develop a diagnostic device for multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-MTB). The aim is to develop and evaluate a simple, portable, and affordable device for diagnosing MDR-MTB at the point-of-care. This work is funded as part of a SNSF BRIDGE Discovery grant, and you would work as part of a multi institutional consortium, including the Swiss Centre for Microelectronics (CSEM), the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), and the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NCTLD) in Tblisi, Georgia.

The first position will be filled by someone with a background in electrochemical biosensing, particular those with experience combining molecular biology and electrochemistry. The second position will be filled by someone with a background in electrical engineering and device development. These positions are fixed-term for 24 months in the first instance, with a possibility for extension.

Project background

Tuberculosis (TB) kills an estimated 1.25 million people each year, making it the single deadliest infectious disease. Unfortunately, TB disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries (LMICs);
98% of the global TB cases occur within LMICs, leading to devastating effects. Furthermore, the proliferation of this disease has resulted in widespread misuse of antibiotics, leading to the development of substantial drug resistance. Indeed, in the worst affected regions, drug resistance among recurring TB infections has risen above 50%.

Most TB deaths are preventable if diagnosed early. However, almost a quarter of all TB cases go undiagnosed. Similarly, the proliferation of drug resistance in TB can be partially attributed to a scarcity of effective methods for identifying resistance markers, which results in poor antibiotic stewardship.
Unfortunately, contemporary diagnostic technologies have proved insufficient for diagnosing TB and associated drug resistances, particularly at the point-of-care (PoC). Few technologies exist that can quickly and accurately diagnose TB and simultaneously determine resistances, and those that canare large and expensive, precluding their use in LMICs. They are also overly reliant on sputum samples, which can be difficult to obtain, particularly in low-resource settings.

In this project, we want to develop an affordable, portable, and rapid diagnostic platform technology that can multiplex 14 targets for TB and associated markers for drug resistance from a single sample. This technology will be paper-based and leverage electrochemical signaling to facilitate miniaturization and provide quantitative readouts of disease. These paper-based tests will be constructed using a recently patented technology from ETHZ, namely, the laser-induced graphenization of cellulose.
This manufacturing process is affordable, scalable, and rapid, making it ideal for constructing PoC devices. This technology will be combined with novel CRISPR–Cas-based biosensing assays, specifically engineered to enable the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with drug resistance. To facilitate deployment at the PoC, we will leverage the facilities and expertise of CSEM to integrate these technologies into a highly affordable cartridge & reader system.

The research team will be supported by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and the National Center…