Postdoc in the design and implementation of biological animal robots
Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1235
11241
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Deadline:
31 July 2023
(application date has expired)
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Full time postdoctoral fellowship
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Contact:
Ithai Rabinowitch
We are seeking experienced and ambitious postdoctoral researchers to take part in the exciting new BABot (Biological Animal roBot) project, funded by the Horizon Europe - EIC PathFinder European Innovation Council Work Programme.
BABots are small animals whose nervous system is genetically reconfigured to produce novel behaviors. These creatures are intended to ultimately execute diverse tasks, such as protecting crops from pathogen invasion, clearing contaminants from soil or water, or entering the body to perform delicate clinical procedures. The current project will focus on the 1mm-long nematode worm, C. elegans as a pioneering BABot implementation.
The project will include the design and construction of new genetic and neural circuits within the C. elegans nervous system, in order to produce artificially swarming worms that perform a sequence of coordinated tasks under a strict genetic biocontainment mechanism. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with our BABot consortium partners, including experts in neurobiology, synthetic biology, collective behavior, robotics, and ethics, and a state-of-the-art agrotech company.
Candidates should demonstrate considerable expertise and experience in some or all of the following areas:
- Synthetic biology
- C. elegans molecular biology and/or genetics
- Neurobiology
A firm background in molecular cloning and genetic design is of high priority.
