PRR Project

Summary

RATIONALE FOR THE NEED TO HIRE THIS CHAIRTherapeutic textiles hold potential across diverse sectors, including healthcare, wellness and personal care. Addressing the challenges associated with the development and integration of advanced therapeutic textiles is paramount for their successful implementation in healthcare and wellness practices. These textiles must not only deliver the desired therapeutic effects but also prioritize comfort, durability, usability, and biocompatibility to prevent potential adverse effects on wearers. The majority of materials currently utilized in the fabrication of therapeutic textiles fall short in meeting these criteria. Additionally, textile functionalization using these materials often involves the use of harsh chemicals, posing risks to both users and the environment. Protein engineering can revolutionize therapeutic textiles as it offers a promising solution to overcome these challenges. By modifying proteins to enhance biocompatibility and skin-friendliness, the risk of irritation or allergic reactions can be minimized. Tailoring proteins to exhibit specific binding affinities towards textile substrates can streamline functionalization processes, reducing reliance on harsh chemicals. Moreover, selecting or engineering proteins with diverse therapeutic functions enables the design of textiles tailored to address various health conditions, further enhancing their utility and impact. This approach prompts the creation of textiles with therapeutic benefits to the wearer, such as wound healing, pain relief, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial protection. However, despite the potential of protein engineering, only a limited number of examples currently explore its application in the development of advanced therapeutic textiles. This represents an opportunity to delve into and extend the use of engineered proteins in textile industry, fostering new research directions in the development of therapeutic textiles. In response to the scarcity of high-performance therapeutic textiles and recognizing the substantial potential impact of protein engineering on textile industry, CEB proposes 1 research position dedicated to exploring protein engineering for the advanced design and fabrication of functional therapeutic textiles. In this scientific profile, CEB aims to invest in a position focused on  integrating protein engineering into textile materials to develop advanced therapeutic textiles with tailored therapeutic protein-based functionalities to address specific health needs.SCIENTIFIC PROFILE REQUIREDThe candidate should have a PhD in materials with technological interest, materials science, biomedical engineering, biotechnology or molecular biology. A good proven track record, demonstrating high quality research on protein engineering will be valued. Experience in doctoral supervision, management of research projects, and participation in outreach events will also be valued.TASKS TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE PROSPECTIVE RESEARCHERThe candidate to be recruited will be required to conduct original research focused on engineered multifunctional proteins obtained by molecular biology tools or by chemical modification, for the functionalization of textile substrates, aiming to provide advanced therapeutic textiles for biomedical and textile industries. It is expected a solid contribution to the body of knowledge in this field, as assessed through scientific publications and/or patents. The selected candidate will also be required to be actively involved in grant proposal development, by participating in large R&D projects submission and also to secure his/her research projects, as principal investigator. As such, project management will be a pivotal duty of this Chair. Recruiting undergraduate students will also be pivotal for the successful development of this Chair. As such, formal supervision duties, for both MSc and PhD students will be required.The selected researcher will also be encouraged to establish and develop collaborative networks with both national and international researchers, that can complement the ongoing  efforts related to advanced therapeutic textiles with multifunctional engineered proteins. In line with this duty, it is expected that the candidate will participate in international events. The chosen candidate will also be required to participate in CEB outreach events and will be given the liberty to propose and organize novel outreach events. Furthermore, the candidate will also be stimulated to participate in the governing of CEB, as an active member of its scientific council, and will be encouraged to engage in specialized governing committees.