In the division MeBioS of KU Leuven in Belgium a position is available for a motivated doctoral researcher in the biofluidics group. Are you ready to conduct world-class research in a dynamic multidisciplinary team? Are you willing to obtain a PhD? Do you want to expand your horizon in an international environment? E-mail your CV – we will contact you soon.

Contrast-enhanced 3D micro-CT imaging and modeling of plant anatomy

MeBios investigates the interaction between biological systems and physical processes. The emphasis is on the measurement of properties of biological products and process variables, the analysis of the measured signals by means of advanced statistical methods, process and equipment design, optimisation and control. Mathematical models to describe the working principles of biological systems at different spatial and temporal scales is essential for this purpose.

Project

Analysis of 3D anatomy is becoming increasingly popular in the study of important plant physiological processes such as aeration, photosynthesis and water flow, with variations within or between species. When 3D imaging and modeling of plant tissue anatomy is combined with modeling of gas and water exchange, a powerful tool is provided to study plant-environment interactions in silico.

X-ray micro-CT is an advanced imaging method that can be used for quantifying 3D tissue morphology at sub-micron resolution. The selected candidate will, in afirst step, develop and apply contrast-enhanced micro-CT to explore plant tissue anatomy in relation to aeration and water flow. Thereto, different agents and methods for contrast enhancement will be explored and optimized. Particular emphasis will be on the use of nano-particles. Nanoparticles can be specifically engineered and modified with targeting molecules as to obtain specific binding, in order to improve local contrast.

In a second step, the PhD student will develop algorithms for automatic image segmentation,annotation and morphological analysis, and 3D computer model generation based on X-ray micro-CT imaging.
Finally,methods and tools for dynamic imaging are developed as a means to study tissue growth processes, as well as changes in plant anatomy and physiological responses to differences in environmental conditions. The methods will be tested on a range of plant tissues of interest including fruit, seeds and leaves, with emphasis on applications in postharvest technology.

Profile

We are looking for an enthousiastic candidate with preferably a Master degree in exact sciences, with a keen interest in biology and who is able to combine experimental skills with mathematical modelling

Offer

We offer a PhD position of four years.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Bart Nicolai, tel.: +32 16 32 23 75, mail: bart.nicolai@biw.kuleuven.be or Dr. Pieter Verboven, tel.: +32 16 32 14 53, mail: pieter.verboven@biw.kuleuven.be.

You can apply for this job no later than February 15, 2014 via the online application tool