Experimental Biophysicist – AFM Tissue Mechanics

ARTIDIS AG is a clinical-stage health-tech start-up founded in Basel, Switzerland, that has developed the first nanomechanical biomarker for cancer diagnosis and treatment optimization. The ARTIDIS nanotechnology platform integrates different types of clinical data into the ARTIDISNET digital platform, allowing physicians to significantly shorten the current diagnostic process and benefit both the patient and the healthcare system. ARTIDIS enables professionals to design personalized cancer treatment plans tailored to individual patients' needs and desired outcomes.

The Experimental Scientist – AFM Tissue Mechanics role is responsible for designing and conducting experiments that support the physical and biological interpretation of signals generated by ARTIDIS automated atomic force microscopes (AFM). This function ensures that experimental observations are generated under well-controlled and reproducible conditions and can be connected to specific properties of cells, tissues, and biological materials.

In this role, you will plan and perform measurements using ARTIDIS automated AFM devices and complementary laboratory methods. You will investigate how biological composition, sample preparation, experimental conditions, and structural features influence measured force-curve signals.

The ARTIDIS platform automates significant parts of the AFM measurement workflow. A strong experimental background, confidence working in a laboratory, and experience handling biological or soft-material samples are, however, important for this position.

You will collaborate closely with the Signal Processing team, computational physicists, and other experimental colleagues to design informative experiments, generate high-quality datasets, and support the validation of physical and analytical models.

• →Design and conduct experiments on cells, tissues, and other biological or tissue-relevant materials.
• →Perform measurements using ARTIDIS automated atomic force microscopes.
• →Prepare biological samples according to established protocols and develop new preparation methods where required.
• →Design controlled experiments to investigate the contribution of specific biological components, structures, or experimental conditions to measured signals.
• →Generate systematic and reproducible measurement datasets.
• →Evaluate how sample preparation, environmental conditions, measurement parameters, and biological variability affect experimental results.
• →Perform complementary laboratory measurements and imaging where appropriate.
• →Assess measurement quality and identify potential sample-related or experimental artifacts.
• →Support the validation of analytical and computational models against experimental observations.
• →Collaborate with computational colleagues to define experiments that can distinguish between different physical interpretations.
• →Maintain accurate records of sample information, preparation procedures, measurement conditions, and experimental outcomes.
• →Establish and maintain experimental protocols, quality-control procedures, and laboratory documentation.
• →Present findings and collaborate with the Signal Processing team and other scientific functions.
• →Support the interpretation of measurement quality and help identify changes in sample preparation, experimental procedures, or device performance.
• →Contribute to the continuous improvement of automated measurement workflows.

• Master’s degree or PhD in experimental physics, biophysics, biomedical engineering, materials science, mechanobiology, cell biology, or a closely related field.
• Practical laboratory experience, preferably involving biological samples, soft materials, or quantitative measurement methods.
• Experience with sample preparation and the execution of controlled scientific experiments.
• Ability to formulate hypotheses and translate them into reproducible experimental designs.
• Strong attention to detail and a structured approach to laboratory work and documentation.
• Ability to assess data quality and identify experimental artefacts or inconsistencies.
• Ability to read scientific literature and translate relevant findings into practical experiments.
• Strong written and spoken English. German knowledge is a plus.
• Interest in working at the interface of experimental biology, physics, and data analysis.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in an interdisciplinary environment.

The following experience is beneficial but not essential:

• Exposure to AFM, force spectroscopy, indentation measurements, or other mechanical characterization methods.
• Experience working with cells, tissue sections, organoids, extracellular matrix, hydrogels, or other biological materials.
• Cell culture, tissue handling, histology, or biological sample preparation.
• Fluorescence, confocal, bright-field, or other optical microscopy methods.
• Experience with mechanobiology, cell mechanics, tissue mechanics, or biomaterials.
• Experience developing automated or higher-throughput experimental workflows.
• Basic data-analysis or programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or a comparable environment.
• Experience working with patient-derived samples or in a biomedical product development environment.

The environment is a typical start-up with an intrinsically motivated international team. Our company is an excellent place for rapid advancement and offers a promising opportunity to learn and share know-how in a very agile environment. The position requires the employee to go the extra mile when needed. We are looking for a team player who appreciates direct communication. The effort is rewarded with challenging tasks, the possibility to take responsibility, a highly driven team, and work serving a significant purpose. The job position comes with a competitive salary and a bonus for outstanding performance.