Organisation/Company: Swansea University
Department: Central Research
Field: Engineering » Other
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Country: United Kingdom
Application Deadline: 24 Feb 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/London)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 35
Offer Starting Date: 1 Apr 2025
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
Cells are living systems highly sensitive to changes in the local environment, meaning that a change in temperature, pH, or other properties can result in the cell changing its morphology and overall behaviour. In this project, the successful candidate will employ such cell behaviour to design, fabricate, and test microfluidic fibres containing cells; such structures will act as “living sensors,” providing a physical response to a variety of external stimuli such as drug administration, electric signals, mechanical stimuli, and temperature gradients. The impact of this project stems from anticipated applications in diagnostic healthcare and drug development.
The candidate will design fibres with controlled cell spacing, using the principle of viscoelasticity-induced ordering in straight microchannels. The advantage over traditional methodologies is that cells will be aligned along a single line in the fibre, meaning that the external stimuli will be uniformly felt along the cell population line, resulting in the first-of-its-kind living tunable sensor with cell-specific responses. Unit sensors will be robustly characterised. Data will train a machine learning model to optimise sensor configurations for multiple unit sensors for a given application. The project will bring together Soft Matter, Biomedical Engineering, and Data Science to generate a versatile tool with great potential across several fields. Experimental activities will mainly be carried out at the Rheological Microfluidic lab led by Dr. Francesco Del Giudice.
The candidate will use a variety of equipment, including microfluidic fabrication facilities, microfluidic stations to observe the flow and generate the fibres, and state-of-the-art rheometry. The candidate will also have access to advanced biomechanical characterisation tools to test sensor applicability and benchmark sensor quality. Additionally, the candidate will be trained on the development of machine learning algorithms, developing advanced skills in both experimental and analytical methods. Collaborating research groups and stakeholders from across disciplines in healthcare and industry will regularly engage throughout. By the end of the project, the candidate will have acquired a portfolio of skills and external collaborators that will provide a strong footing for future careers in either academia or industry.
The Rheological Microfluidic lab sits within the broader Complex Fluid group and focuses on areas of research bringing together complex fluids and microfluidics. For instance, we pioneered the use of polymer solutions to promote co-encapsulation of particles above the stochastic limit. We also developed a microfluidic device for rapid simultaneous measurements of rheological properties at different temperatures. We are currently exploring the implementation of machine learning within the field of droplet microfluidics. Our overall vision is to introduce disruptive technologies that challenge the status quo.
The student will also work within the Biomedical Engineering Simulation and Testing (BEST) Lab led by Dr. Hari Arora. There are currently over 20 researchers in the group, with more than 10 PhD level working on advanced experimental and computational mechanics problems. A relevant area of focus within the group includes the development of novel measurement methods to study medical devices and suitable simulated environments for biomechanical testing. There is a wide range of expertise within the BEST Lab to support on specialist topics as well as interdisciplinary skills development of the successful candidate.
Minimum English Language Requirement: IELTS 6.5 Overall (5.5+ each component) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.
Additional Information
This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (currently £19,237 for 2024/25).
Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.
Eligibility Criteria
The Scholarship is open to UK fee eligible applicants only.
Please see our website for more information.
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