Institute of Energy and Process EngineeringOpen OpportunitiesHydrogel materials are crosslinked polymer networks with reversible swelling, tunable porosity, elasticity, toughness, and flexibility. Conventional hydrogels often suffer from weak mechanical properties and display brittle and unstable behaviour limiting their scope for load-bearing applications. Such networks consist of side-chain functionalized polymers, whose covalent crosslinks occur at fixed positions on the polymer backbone (Figure 1A). Upon deformation, tensile stress is concentrated on the closest neighboring crosslinks, eventually leading to their rupture and material failure. Hence, the molecular design of high-performance hydrogels with toughness and elasticity similar to rubber is an emerging area of research in the engineering of polymeric materials with applications towards robust medical materials or soft robotics. - Macromolecular Chemistry, Materials Engineering, Supramolecular Chemistry
- Master Thesis
| Switzerland’s decentralized energy system comprises over 600 Electricity Distribution System Operators (DSOs), which play a critical role in ensuring the security of electricity supply. As the country transitions to a decarbonized energy system, understanding the systemic relevance of each DSO is essential for ensuring resilience in energy planning. Factors such as the share of renewable electricity generation, electricity demand, and the presence of critical infrastructure—including hospitals, banks, and water supply systems—significantly influence the systemic criticality of Swiss DSOs with respect to energy security. However, there is limited research that systematically evaluates the systemic relevance of DSOs using geospatial data. Developing such an understanding is vital for prioritizing investments and policy interventions that strengthen the energy sector’s reliability and resilience. - Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| Energy systems worldwide vary significantly in their composition, decarbonization status, and challenges, shaped by geographical, economic, and policy factors. Key indicators such as the share of renewable electricity generation, electrification rate, and system reliability offer critical insights into these differences. Understanding patterns and clusters among energy system can enable more targeted policy interventions, resource allocation, and technology adoption strategies. However, a comprehensive framework for analysing and clustering these systems based on multi-dimensional indicators remains underdeveloped, limiting the ability to design more tailored and thus, effective energy policy designs. - Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| Introduction and Background
Skin cells dynamically respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, which influence critical processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Mechanobiology, the study of these responses, requires advanced in vitro systems to emulate physiological conditions. This project utilizes a device designed for controlled manipulation of hydrostatic pressure (0.1–1.5 kPa) and substrate stiffness (0.1–100 kPa). The system facilitates isolated and scalable experiments to analyze how the interplay of these mechanical parameters affects cell behavior.
- Biology, Engineering and Technology
- Master Thesis
| Chronic wound care is hindered by the complex and variable proteomic profiles of wound exudates, which limit the efficacy of existing therapies. We aim to validate the effectiveness of our granular hydrogel platform in restoring balance to the wound microenvironment. Utilizing exudates obtained from diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients, we will optimize our microgel library to target clinically relevant cytokine profiles. - Biology, Medical and Health Sciences
- Internship, Master Thesis
| The development of biomaterials for chronic wound healing faces significant challenges in achieving shelf-stability, transportability, and compliance with clinical manufacturing standards. To address these hurdles, we aim to integrate a freeze-drying (lyophilization) step into the preparation of our granular hydrogels, facilitating storage and transport without compromising functionality. By validating the post-rehydration performance of lyophilized microgels, we aim to ensure the robustness of our product for clinical use. - Biology, Chemistry, Medical and Health Sciences
- Internship, Master Thesis
| Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities and its detrimental effects are increasingly evident. To limit global warming and meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions to net-zero by 2050 and to negative values by 2100. Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a key technology in achieving net-negative emission goals, as it removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere, thereby decreasing the atmospheric CO2 concentration. DAC systems need to overcome a significant engineering challenge: efficiently separating CO2 from ambient air with a concentration as low as 400 ppm, necessitating the processing of large volumes of air to extract substantial amounts of CO2.
An effective strategy for enhancing adsorption-based DAC systems involves structured sorbents, which provide low airflow resistance and a high surface area for adsorption. Honeycomb monoliths are particularly promising, as they are already utilized in industry as particulate filters and can be adapted for DAC applications. These monoliths are composed of a porous substrate washcoated with gamma alumina, which is then functionalized with amines that chemically bond CO2 effectively separating it from the ambient air. The quantity of washcoat on the porous substrate is a critical parameter that affects the overall performance of the monolith in DAC systems. Preliminary simulations suggest that optimizing the washcoat can significantly impact the CO2 uptake capacity and the efficiency of the DAC process.
The goal of this work is to investigate the effect of washcoat percentage on the CO2 adsorption performance of monoliths. The work will involve both the functionalization and characterization of monoliths with varying washcoat percentages - Materials Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Membrane and Separation Technologies
- Master Thesis
| Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a critical field that focuses on supporting complex decision-making processes involving multiple, often conflicting criteria. In areas like energy systems analysis and environmental management, MCDA methods help evaluate and compare different technologies or strategies based on various performance metrics and stakeholder preferences.
With the growing complexity of energy systems and the integration of new technologies, there is a pressing need for advanced tools that can assist decision-makers in making informed decisions. Developing an online tool that incorporates MCDA methods will facilitate a more transparent and interactive decision-making process, allowing users to elicit preferences and understand trade-offs between different options. - Engineering and Technology
- Internship
| Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) data are pivotal for designing sustainable processes, yet acquiring such data experimentally remains expensive and time-intensive. To address this, the Energy & Process Systems Engineering (EPSE) Lab at ETH Zürich is developing a self-driving thermodynamics lab. This autonomous system leverages automation and miniaturization to enhance experimental throughput, reducing time and cost. Key technologies include Raman spectroscopy for rapid phase composition analysis and LabVIEW for orchestrating unsupervised experiments. Once fully operational, this lab will deliver thermophysical property data autonomously to advance sustainable process designs, such as those for plastics recycling. - Chemical Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Lab Practice, Semester Project
| The development of advanced drug formulations is a cornerstone of pharmaceutical innovation, directly influencing therapeutic efficacy, patient outcomes, and market success. Achieving optimal drug absorption and bioavailability remains one of the most significant challenges in formulation design, particularly for oral and parenteral delivery systems. Addressing this challenge is critical for advancing scientific understanding and also for accelerating drug discovery and reducing time-to-market for new therapies.
This Master’s thesis project aims to develop an advanced cell culture assay to model drug absorption, providing a scientifically robust and commercially valuable platform for drug screening and optimizing novel drug formulations. By bridging gaps in current drug screening methodologies, this project will contribute to innovation in drug delivery technologies and enhance competitive positioning in the growing global market for pharmaceutical solutions. - Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Macromolecular Chemistry, Medical Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Medicine-general, Microbiology, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Master Thesis
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