Research Associate in Biofabrication

We are seeking an outstanding and ambitious individual to join our team as a Research Associate in Biofabrication within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering. This role offers a rare opportunity to work at the forefront of space bioprinting, cryobiology and advanced biomaterials science at the Henry Royce Institute. The post is fully funded through a Royal Society APEX Award and will contribute to the project "Bioprinting Beyond Gravity: Developing Extremophile‑Inspired Biomaterials for Human Tissue Fabrication in Space." The project aims to overcome a critical challenge in space bioprinting: the safe storage, transport and deployment of cell‑laden bioinks in extreme environments. You will help develop cryopreservable "cryobioinks" inspired by extremophile biology, integrating biomaterials chemistry, polymer science, stem cell biology and simulated microgravity research. This is a full‑time, fixed‑term role for 18 months, based at the University of Manchester’s Oxford Road campus (Henry Royce Institute), with collaborative work at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences using a Random Positioning Machine to simulate microgravity.