PhD Studentship: Development of novel bioprocessing strategies for the production of functional magnetic nanoparticles

Applications are invited for a three year Postgraduate studentship, supported by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to be undertaken within the Aston Institute of Materials Research (AIMR) and the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) groups. The successful applicant will join an established experimental group working on the production of functional and biologically synthesised materials for healthcare and biotechnological applications.

The position is available to start in October 2018 (subject to negotiation)

Financial Support

This studentship includes a fee bursary to cover the home/EU fees rate plus a maintenance allowance of £14,777 in the 2018/19 academic year.

Applicants from outside the EU may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home/EU’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees, currently this is £12,290 in the 2018/19 academic year.

As part of the application you will be required to confirm that you have applied for, or, secured this additional funding. Confirmation that this funding support is in place will be required as part of the application process.

Background of the Project

It is expected that the next generation of functional materials will be able to circumvent many of the current limitations in the healthcare and biotechnological industries and will allow the development of novel and unexplored applications. This project will aim to understand and further improve current manufacturing (bioprocessing) strategies for the production of biologically synthesised magnetic nanoparticles, namely magnetosomes. These are naturally produced in magnetotactic bacteria and have a tremendous potential to become the next generation of functional materials. The end goal will be to achieve higher magnetosome yields and develop scalable production process at reduced costs.

Person Specification

The successful applicant should have a first class or upper second class honours degree or equivalent qualification in bio/chemical engineering, biotechnology or any other relevant subject area. Skill requirements in one or more of the following disciplines is preferred: knowledge/experience of fermentation technology, microbiology, bioanalytical techniques and nanotechnologies.

For informal enquiries about this project and other opportunities within the AIMR and EBRI Research Groups, contact Dr Alfred Fernandez-Castane by email a.fernandez-castane1@aston.ac.uk.

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at seasres@aston.ac.uk.

The online application form, reference forms and details of entry requirements, including English language are available here.

Applications should also be accompanied by a brief review of relevant research literature.

Details of how to write your project proposal are also included in the How to Apply section.