What does the position entail?

As our lead optical designer, you drive the development of our main microscopy product forward. This means that you come up with its system-level optical design, design custom lens assemblies, and are in charge of the manufacturing of the optical components. You work with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to ensure optimal integration and performance. And in the end, you get to test yourself that everything works as designed.

We offer you the opportunity to work with world-class engineers to develop a completely new product from the ground up. As such, you will play a pivotal role in transforming our startup into an internationally recognised company.

What do we expect from you?

You excel when you are faced with a challenge. You enjoy and thrive in a startup environment. You are ambitious, resourceful, creative, focused, goal-oriented, and easy to work with. You don’t mind occasionally picking up other tasks if the situation calls for it. You must:

• have experience designing imaging systems with professional design software (e.g. Zemax)
• know what it takes to procure high-quality custom optical components cost-effectively
• have an EU Work Visa, EU Citizenship, or the right to work within the EU

What can you expect from us?

• Competitive salary (dependent on your experience)
• Significant equity participation via our Share Appreciation Rights plan
• Flexible working hours and holiday allowance
• A socially aware, easy-going, inclusive team that supports you in your growth and ambitions

Opening for a 15- or 20 ECTS internship for university master students.

Fluorescence microscopes image biological tissue sections to which fluorescent markers have been applied at many distinct wavelengths. The markers bind to specific antigens (proteins) on the exterior of cells, and as such enable identification of different (tumor) cell types and states.

The process of transforming raw camera sensor images into the final product, a tissue micrograph that maps out the spatial distribution of a large number of identified cell types and proteins, comprises a complex series of (nonlinear) image corrections, sub-image stitching and computational (biological) context-aware transformations. An efficient and high-throughput solution is critical due to the huge amount of image data. The design of this image processing pipeline takes place at the exciting vertex of biology, optics, and computer science.

More concretely, the project may include the following:

• Literature studies into the state of the art of fluorescence microscopy image (pre)-processing.
• Design of a logical image processing pipeline that takes raw camera sensor images as its input and prepares, combines, and filters them towards identification of the fluorescent markers.
  Examples of pipeline steps include:
  • Linear transformations such as noise suppression, flat-field correction, background subtraction
  • Optical aberration corrections, deconvolution with the Point Spread Function.
  • Stitching of tissue sub-images into single whole-tissue micrograph.
  • Exploration of techniques employing information theory and machine learning.
• Proof-of-concept implementation of processing pipeline. In principle, in the Python ecosystem.
• Evaluating the pipeline using the experimental microscope installation in our lab at the HTC.

Key facts

• Full-time, flexible start and end dates.
• Office and lab spaces at the High Tech Campus (HTC) in Eindhoven.
• You will work with a small but highly skilled and motivated team.
• Possibility to expand the internship into a graduation project.
• Job opportunities in case of mutually positive cooperation.

If you are excited, or would like to know more, do not hesitate to contact us!