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Research Fellow – School of Chemical Engineering – 104014 – Grade 7

Closing date: 17^th March 2025

Department: School of Chemical Engineering

Supervisor: Professor Paula Mendes

A unique opportunity for a successful applicant to undertake research in phage display technology for enabling the discovery of peptides capable of targeting glycans.

Sugar chains, known as glycans, perform a vast array of biological functions and play key roles in various physiological and pathological events. Thus, glycans are a rich source of biomarkers for many diseases, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, hereditary disorders, immune deficiencies, and cancer. However, a major technological bottleneck exists in the development of binding entities that can recognise glycan biomarkers with high specificity and affinity. This hampers major advances in the early and accurate diagnosis of many devastating human illnesses.

The Research Fellow will tackle the technical challenges in the development of innovative solutions to creating a highly effective high throughput selection method for peptide-based glycan binders using phase display technology. It will include incorporation of non-natural amino acids and genetic modification of bacteriophages.

This is a two-year European Research Council (ERC)-funded project, and the Research Fellow will join an interdisciplinary research team across the School of Chemical Engineering and School of Biosciences.

Anniversary Chair - University of Birmingham - 102904

Closing date: Our recruitment will remain open until 2025.

In 2025, we will celebrate 125 years of University status by Royal Charter. One of the ways we are celebrating this important milestone is by making a significant investment in our research and appointing 25 new Anniversary Chairs.

As a leader in your field, with a track record of exemplary research, this permanent appointment will offer you sustained and strategic focus on advancing your research.

We’re looking for diverse talent from across the world to help us make new discoveries and tackle global challenges. You will work with the brightest minds at the forefront of different subject areas to tackle the most pressing global challenges, and the opportunity to be mentored and supported by senior leaders at the University and beyond, and to collaborate with our strong networks of partners.

You will be critical in driving the excellence of our research to make an even greater difference to the world around us. Join us as we celebrate our 125th anniversary, and be part of our ambitious, exciting future.

Our inclusive and intellectually challenging education programmes are underpinned by cutting-edge knowledge and taught by leading researchers to encourage independent thinking and develop the next generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers. In this role you will contribute to teaching and learning, and management and administration.

Research Fellow – School of Chemical Engineering – 103383 – Grade 7

Closing date: 31^st March 2025

Department: School of Chemical Engineering

Supervisor: Professor Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project.

The successful candidate will join an ambitious interdisciplinary team within the Advanced Nano Materials, Structures and Applications (ANMSA) Group, one of the leading academic groups in the field of development of novel micro and nanostructures, miniaturised diagnostic technologies and complementary optical processes. Further information can be found on the group's website. This is a multi-disciplinary project, requiring a strong background in Physics, Engineering and in particularly experience in Optics. The position offers an exciting opportunity to apply novel optical and lithographic processes with translational applications in medicine collaborating with medical researchers and clinicians.

We are based at the Biomedical Engineering School and the new Interdisciplinary Institute of Healthcare Technologies, University of Birmingham, a collaborative environment with world class facilities. We and the wider University environment offer substantial opportunities for professional development including opportunities to attend national and international conferences.

Research Associate - Department of Metabolism & Systems Science - 105140 - Grade 6

Closing date: 11th March 2025

Department: Metabolism & Systems Science

Supervisor: Dr Lisa Hill

The role of the post holder is to support ongoing clinical research projects within the Translational Brain Sciences group portfolio, which will involve the collection/handling/processing of samples from human participants (self-collected). This role will involve the identification and recruitment of appropriate patients in a variety of clinic settings (and on occasion healthy volunteers), obtaining informed consent, sample collection, handling and processing (according to project protocols and Standard Operating Procedures) and completion of the necessary records and electronic tracking logs.

Project Officer – School of Chemical Engineering – 105411 – Grade 6

Closing date: 12th March 2025

Department: School of Chemical Engineering

Supervisor: Dr Sophie Cox

4D Health Tech is an EPSRC funded Network Plus that aims to bring together the medical device community to revolutionise practice. Our vision is to transform medical engineering into 4D, incorporating considerations of time dimensional changes throughout the innovation journey. This span from changes in design practice, materials, manufacturing methods and methods of testing ultimately aims to engineer devices that offer improved patient outcomes and longer life spans.

During this post the network will be set up and mature into an active community that shall be supported by the wider Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI) at the University of Birmingham. The post holder will work closely with the 4D Health Tech investigator team and Innovation Fellow as well as the wider HTI operations team.

The post holder will support the network in the delivery of effective and efficient day-to-day management and organisation, including administration, secretarial duties, operational management, health & safety compliance and technical management. Alongside this they will also support network events, membership databases, administration for small grant applications to the network, and marketing of the network.

The post holder will have a proactive approach and possess exceptional organisational, prioritisation and communication skills with the ability to use their own initiative to prioritise and manage complex tasks and diary arrangements. The post holder will be confident in working independently and with ambiguity, as well as being a strong team player. Strong analytical and numerical skills would also be advantageous.

Research Fellow in Bioanalytical Chemistry – School of Chemistry – 105325 – Grade 7

Closing date: 27th March 2025

Department: School of Chemical Engineering

Supervisor: Dr Ruchi Gupta

We are seeking applications for a 24-month Research Fellow position to support all activities in Dr Ruchi Gupta’s group, and specifically to develop analytical methods for measurement of biomarkers in biological fluids such as saliva, urine and serum. The post holder should be able to perform chemical synthesis and characterisation protocols. Successful delivery will have a revolutionary impact on the early detection of diseases such as cancer.

PhD: Spray Delivery of Antifibrotic Polysaccharides

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisor: Dr Tom Robinson

Funding & Eligibility: Funded PhD Project | UK Students Only

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

We are looking for a motivated, curious PhD candidate, who is interested in developing and understanding new therapies for scarring and fibrosis. This project will involve developing cell models of fibrosis, and using them to understand the efficacy and mechanism of action of new polysaccharide therapies. This project will also involve formulating structured fluids from these polysaccharides, and understanding how changing their formulation alters their microstructures, and therefore their material and spray properties.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Tom Robinson (T.E.Robinson@bham.ac.uk).

PhD: A computational and systems biology approach to optimising stem cells for cell-based therapy

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisor: Dr Yin Hoon Chew

Funding & Eligibility: Funded PhD Project | UK Students Only

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

We are looking for a PhD candidate with a passion to combine computational modelling and wet-lab experiments, to optimise cell-based therapy.

This project aims to develop an in-silico framework that integrates multi-omics and biochemical data into a computational model of stem cells, to facilitate cell-based therapy. One of the strategies in regenerative medicine is to culture stem cells in bioreactors before injecting them into patients. However, there are challenges in this strategy such as low growth rates in bioreactors and low cell viability after injection. Computational models are useful tools for identifying factors that can be manipulated to optimise cell growth and survival rates.

This project will involve programming and software development for organising data and building models; high-performance computing for model simulation; and wet-lab experiments in a biology lab for testing model prediction.

Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Yin Hoon Chew.

PhD: Smart Switchable Sensors for On-demand Biosensing and Cell Therapy Monitoring

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisor: Professor Paula Mendes (The Mendes group)

Funding & Eligibility: Competition Funded / UK/EU Students

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

This interdisciplinary project aims to develop smart switchable biosensors for real-time monitoring of cell-secreted, or bioreactor supplemented, cytokine biomarkers. For the first time, we aim to combine this novel switchable technology with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS), enabling on-demand electrochemical biosensing on-chip. Conceptually different from traditional biosensors where the surface immobilised recognition elements act as passive receptors, we introduce nature inspired surfaces with the unique ability to actively manipulate single-domain antibodies ie. nanobodies, conferring antigen-nanobody binding control.

Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Paula M Mendes.

PhD: Printed ingestible sensors and systems for sustainability

Department: Engineering, Supervisor: Dr Gerard Cummins

Application Deadline: 1 February 2025

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Networks are joint research and training projects funded by the European Union. Funding is provided for doctoral candidates from both inside and outside Europe to carry out individual project work in a European country other than their own. The Intelli-Ingest MSCA Doctoral Networks is made up of 4 beneficiaries and 6 associated partners, all coordinated by the Biorobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy.

This project involves addressing the issue of sustainability with ingestible devices. Ingestible devices are commonly constructed from embedded electronic systems encased in a rigid plastic shell. Typically, these are single-use medical devices that are flushed away after use, which has environmental implications. This project will investigate different manufacturing methods, primarily focusing on printing technologies, to create more sustainable approaches to ingestible devices with similar functionality. This will involve creating one or more proof-of-concept devices containing simple sensing modalities, some electronic processing, and active actuation.

Using microencapsulation to study biofilm formation

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisors: Dr David Bassett & Professor Tim Overton

Application deadline: 31 May 2025

Funding & Eligibility: Competition Funded / Worldwide Students

Most bacteria in nature live in biofilms, communities that are usually attached to solid surfaces and protected by a self-produced matrix of polymer molecules. Biofilms are frequently more resistant to a range of antibiotics and toxic compounds and are very difficult to remove from surfaces. For these reasons, biofilms represent a massive problem for humanity, for example causing ~80% of infections, fouling pipes, and increasing fuel usage on ships. The economic impact of biofilms has recently been estimated to be ~ US$4000 billion per year, as well as health and societal impacts (Cámara et al., 2022). The traditional model of biofilm formation on a solid surface comprises five stages: initial (reversible) attachment; irreversible attachment; proliferation and microcolony formation; maturation; and dispersion (Sauer et al., 2002). This developmental pathway is tightly regulated and depends upon external cues and stimuli, transcriptional factors, and second messengers such as cyclc di-GMP. In most organisms, these processes are not fully understood; even in the best-studied biofilm-forming organisms (eg Pseudomonas aeruginosa), there are still gaps in understanding.

Key questions include:

• How is primary adhesion of bacteria to solid surfaces mediated?
• How do bacteria sense surface attachment and switch from a planktonic to a sessile (attached) physiology?
• How do sessile bacteria coordinate synthesis of polysaccharides and other matrix components?

Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the traditional five-step model of biofilm formation only represents part of the biofilm story (Sauer et al., 2022). Some bacteria form a type of biofilm called a pellicle that “floats” on the air-liquid interface; other bacteria form clusters that are suspended in growth media. The differences and similarities between biofilms, pellicles, and clusters are still poorly understood, and new methods are needed to better map the full scope of biofilm physiology. In this project, we will use microfluidics and core-shell microbeads (Håti et al., 2016) as a platform to study biofilm formation.

We will generate microbeads, around 50 μm in diameter, containing bacteria and surrounded by a polymer shell. This will allow us to follow bacterial cluster formation over time and measure aspects of physiology such as biofilm morphology, expression of biofilm-relevant genes, and concentrations of c-di-GMP and other second messengers. Altering the chemistry of the shell of the bead will allow us to determine the impact of physicochemical characteristics on biofilm formation and also probe the mechanical properties of the biofilm. Changing the liquid medium inside each bead will also permit investigation of the effect of stimuli on stages of biofilm development.

This project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between Overton, an expert on microbiology of biofilms and single cell analysis, and Bassett, an expert on soft materials in tissue engineering and biomaterials. Candidates are encouraged to contact the lead supervisor, Dr David Bassett (d.c.bassett@bham.ac.uk), to discuss the project before applying.

Funding notes:

Funding and training provided through the Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership. International students (including EU students) are welcome to apply. Studentships would be jointly funded covering international tuition fees in full. UKRI funding will provide annual stipend for living costs and tuition fees at the UK rate. The difference between UK tuition fee rate and international tuition fee rate will be covered by University of Birmingham funding.

Smart Materials: Harnessing Sound to Combat Bacterial Growth

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisors: Professor Paula Mendes

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

Funding & Eligibility: Competition Funded / UK/EU Students

Cell and gene therapies are poised to transform medicine by providing personalized and effective treatments for patients with chronic or life-threatening diseases. However, the complexity and high costs linked with the manufacturing of cell and gene therapy products have been severely constraining market availability and patient accessibility to these life changing therapies. There is an urgent need for innovative technologies that can address current challenges facing cell and gene therapy biomanufacture. Major advances are needed to enrich process integrated analytical tools, enabling accurate, real-time measurement of cell therapy key attributes during biomanufacture. This interdisciplinary project aims to develop smart switchable biosensors for real-time monitoring of cell-secreted, or bioreactor supplemented, cytokine biomarkers. For the first time, we aim to combine this novel switchable technology with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS), enabling on-demand electrochemical biosensing on-chip. Conceptually different from traditional biosensors where the surface immobilised recognition elements act as passive receptors, we introduce nature inspired surfaces with the unique ability to actively manipulate single-domain antibodies ie. nanobodies, conferring antigen-nanobody binding control. Consequently, analytes can be captured in space and time for on-demand detection, supporting real-time data capture for different periods of time. The switchable biosensor platform will bring innovation to cell therapy bioprocessing, leading to the implementation of fully automated, robust cell therapy culture processes to reduce production costs, and ultimately deliver cost-effective and impactful therapeutics to patients in need.

The project will be carried out in partnership with Imec R&D, nano electronics and digital technologies (imec-int.com) (Belgium) with opportunity for scientific visits and training.

A first degree (typically BSc or Masters) in Engineering, Chemistry, Material Sciences, Physics or Biology is required. Applications including CV and detailed education with grades should be addressed to Professor Paula Mendes (p.m.mendes@bham.ac.uk)

Subject Areas:

Surface Chemistry, Switchable Biological Surfaces, Bionanotechnology, Electrochemistry and Biosensing, CMOS.

Glycan sensing technology for early and accurate cancer diagnosis

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisors: Professor Paula Mendes

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

Funding & Eligibility: Competition Funded / UK/EU Students

Cell and gene therapies are poised to transform medicine by providing personalized and effective treatments for patients with chronic or life-threatening diseases. However, the complexity and high costs linked with the manufacturing of cell and gene therapy products have been severely constraining market availability and patient accessibility to these life changing therapies. There is an urgent need for innovative technologies that can address current challenges facing cell and gene therapy biomanufacture. Major advances are needed to enrich process integrated analytical tools, enabling accurate, real-time measurement of cell therapy key attributes during biomanufacture. This interdisciplinary project aims to develop smart switchable biosensors for real-time monitoring of cell-secreted, or bioreactor supplemented, cytokine biomarkers. For the first time, we aim to combine this novel switchable technology with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS), enabling on-demand electrochemical biosensing on-chip. Conceptually different from traditional biosensors where the surface immobilised recognition elements act as passive receptors, we introduce nature inspired surfaces with the unique ability to actively manipulate single-domain antibodies ie. nanobodies, conferring antigen-nanobody binding control. Consequently, analytes can be captured in space and time for on-demand detection, supporting real-time data capture for different periods of time. The switchable biosensor platform will bring innovation to cell therapy bioprocessing, leading to the implementation of fully automated, robust cell therapy culture processes to reduce production costs, and ultimately deliver cost-effective and impactful therapeutics to patients in need.

The project will be carried out in partnership with Imec R&D, nano electronics and digital technologies (imec-int.com) (Belgium) with opportunity for scientific visits and training.

A first degree (typically BSc or Masters) in Engineering, Chemistry, Material Sciences, Physics or Biology is required. Applications including CV and detailed education with grades should be addressed to Professor Paula Mendes (p.m.mendes@bham.ac.uk)

Subject Areas:

Surface Chemistry, Switchable Biological Surfaces, Bionanotechnology, Electrochemistry and Biosensing, CMOS.

EPSRC supported EngD. The effects of cleansing on skin microbiota

Department of Chemical Engineering, Supervisors: Professor Zhenyu Zhang, Professor Peter Fryer, Dr Patricia Esteban

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

Funding & Eligibility: Directly Funded / UK Students

As the largest organ of human being, skin acts as a barrier to the external environment, and accommodates a diverse microbiota comprised of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and microeukaryotes. Most of such skin microbes are harmless or commensal organisms that play essential roles in inhibiting colonization by pathogenic microbes or modulating innate and adaptive immune systems. A disruption to the microbiome could cause inflammation, irritation, dry and itchy skin, dermatitis, and skin diseases (in the worse scenario). As such, a delicate balance between skin hygiene (e.g. removing dead skin cells, sebum and sweat) and the disruption to skin microbiota requires careful consideration for developing skin cleansing products and technologies.

Building upon a previous work on skin hygiene, we aim to investigate the effect of cleansing, a complex physical and chemical processes that involves water, cleansing agents, and skin, on skin microbiota in this highly interdisciplinary project. The cleansing process and products would inevitably shape the specific skin microbial communities by changing the chemical environment. Using RNA sequencing method, alongside flow cytometry, we plan establish a comprehensive understanding of the effects of surfactants on skin microbiota.

Working closely with the industrial partner Innospec, a specialty chemical company, the EngD candidate will develop a wide range of knowledge and skills in colloidal and interface science, as well microbiology, whilst establish a broad appreciation of formulation engineering. They will build a portfolio of transferrable skills such as project management, communication and team working, which ensures excellent employability upon completion of the project. If you have a background in Chemistry, Physics, biology, or Chemical Engineering, and are passionate about sustainability and future fuels, this is an excellent opportunity.

Funding notes:

To be eligible for EPSRC funding candidates must have at least a 2(1) in an Engineering or Scientific discipline or a 2(2) plus MSc. To apply please email your cv to cdt-formulation@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

PhD: Advanced preclinical testing of modern joint replacements

Department of Engineering, Supervisors: Dr Rob Beadling & Professor Michael Bryant

Funding & Eligibility: Funded (UK Students Only)

Application deadline: Applications accepted all year round

The aim of this studentship will be to utilise in-situ monitoring and advanced mechanical testing of tribological systems to better understand the performance of modern total hip replacement devices, evolution of the bearing contact, and the progression of degradation processes over time. Objectives include:

• To develop an experimental framework with multi-modal in-situ sensing techniques, capable of fully characterising material degradation.
• Correlation of sensor signals to ex-situ analysis of material surfaces and generated lubricant products following long-term tribological articulation.
• Scale up of assessment from simplified 2D tribological contacts to complex full-component configurations under representative operating routines.

The project will be in close collaboration with a medical device manufacturer working towards introduction of a novel device. Please contact Dr A. R. Beadling (a.r.beadling@bham.ac.uk) for more information.

The School of Chemical Engineering is dedicated to raising awareness of chemical engineering amongst young people by working closely with schools, colleges, teachers and career advisors.

Visit the Chemical Engineering outreach page for more information.

For Work Experience placements, email: hti@contacts.bham.ac.uk.