Organisation/Company: Atlantic Technological University
Department: Marine and Freshwater Research Centre
Research Field: Engineering Physics » Applied physics
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions
Research Support Positions
Country: Ireland
Application Deadline: 11 Apr 2025 - 12:00 (Europe/Dublin)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? NextGenerationEU
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated Research Assistant to join the NanoSA team which is developing rapid point of care technology for the quantitative detection of pathogenic infections that impact aquaculture.
You will be responsible for the development of a thermal contrast amplification device for the quantitative analysis of new lateral flow assays that are currently being developed by the NanoSA team. This role involves device design, prototyping, and optimisation for accurate and reliable in field use. The successful candidate will be contributing to both hardware and software development. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with strong technical skills who is eager to work on an applied research project with real-world impact.
You will be a part of a multidisciplinary team (physics/ biophysics/ biology/ material science) that consists of researchers based in ATU and DCU as well as aquaculture industry experts based in Ireland.
This project, funded through the Research Ireland/Science Foundation Ireland National Challenge Fund Future Food Systems Challenge, aims to address the challenge of slow pathogen detection in aquaculture. Rapid detection of pathogenic infections enables effective disease management practices to be implemented. However, current methods are confined to laboratory use with labour and time intensive protocols. NanoSA are solving this problem by developing advanced oxide nanostructure integrated paper-based lateral flow assay for the rapid detection and quantification of infectious diseases in aquaculture.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Minimum of primary degree in physics, instrumentation, biomedical engineering, electronic engineering or other relevant area.
2. Experience of device design, optics, electronics, and interfacing.
3. Proficient in programming and data analysis (e.g. MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW or similar).
4. Excellent communication skills (written and oral).
5. Strong problem-solving skills.
6. Technical report writing, organisational and presentation skills.
Desirable Qualifications:
1. Willingness to undertake additional training, when required.
2. Desire to gain experience, under guidance, of biological assay design.
3. Ability to work independently, using own initiative.
Duties:
Duties include (not limited to):
1. Assist in the design, prototyping, and testing of the portable reader for thermal contrast amplification.
2. Develop and integrate optical, thermal, and electronic sensor technologies into the device.
3. Develop required software for device operation.
4. Conduct laboratory and field experiments to validate the reader’s performance in aquaculture settings.
5. Collaborate with engineers, microbiologists, and aquaculture specialists to ensure seamless integration with existing diagnostic workflows.
6. Analyse experimental data, document findings, and contribute to scientific reports and publications.
7. Maintain laboratory equipment, manage prototype iterations, and ensure compliance with technical and safety standards.
Location: Atlantic Technological University, Old Dublin Road, Galway
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