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Dr R Levy
Dr P A Murray
No more applications being accepted
Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding
About the Project
Joint supervisor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore: Dr Sierin Lim
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have found applications as MRI contrast agent. Traditionally, iron nanoparticles are synthesized chemically but it remains challenging to produce functional, biocompatible, and stable nanoparticles. In this project, we will scale-up production of the ION using E. coli as a biofactory using synthetic biology approach.
The E. coli will be supplemented with a plasmid containing a gene to produce protein cage, called ferritin, within which the ION will be produced. Upon transport from the environment to the E. coli, the soluble iron (Fe2+) will be converted into insoluble iron (Fe3+) within the ferritin protein cage. In a preliminary time-course study conducted in Sierin Lim team in Singapore, it was found that the amount of iron incorporated within the ferritin protein cage is proportional to the incubation time. The amount of iron incorporated will subsequently effect the magnetization of the ION.
One of the tools used to monitor bacterials cells SPIONs production will be the cell tracking velocimeter recently built in Raphaël Lévy’s team in Liverpool (collaboration with JJ Chalmers, Ohio). This PhD project combines the complementary methods, tools and expertise of the teams in Singapore and Liverpool to better understand and control the biosynthesis and extraction of SPIONs produced by bacteria, and to develop their applications in biological imaging.
Training:
Nanoparticle biosynthesis
SPIONs
Synthetic biology
Nanotechnology
Cell tracking and imaging
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have found applications as MRI contrast agent. Traditionally, iron nanoparticles are synthesized chemically but it remains challenging to produce functional, biocompatible, and stable nanoparticles. In this project, we will scale-up production of the ION using E. coli as a biofactory using synthetic biology approach.
The E. coli will be supplemented with a plasmid containing a gene to produce protein cage, called ferritin, within which the ION will be produced. Upon transport from the environment to the E. coli, the soluble iron (Fe2+) will be converted into insoluble iron (Fe3+) within the ferritin protein cage. In a preliminary time-course study conducted in Sierin Lim team in Singapore, it was found that the amount of iron incorporated within the ferritin protein cage is proportional to the incubation time. The amount of iron incorporated will subsequently effect the magnetization of the ION.
One of the tools used to monitor bacterials cells SPIONs production will be the cell tracking velocimeter recently built in Raphaël Lévy’s team in Liverpool (collaboration with JJ Chalmers, Ohio). This PhD project combines the complementary methods, tools and expertise of the teams in Singapore and Liverpool to better understand and control the biosynthesis and extraction of SPIONs produced by bacteria, and to develop their applications in biological imaging.
Training:
Nanoparticle biosynthesis
SPIONs
Synthetic biology
Nanotechnology
Cell tracking and imaging
References
Peng, T. and Lim, S. (2011). Trimer-Based Design of pH-Responsive Protein Cage Results in Soluble Disassembled Structures. Biomacromolecules, 12, 3131-3138
Shaw, C.P., Fernig, D.G. and Lévy, R., (2011) Gold nanoparticles as advanced building blocks for nanoscale self-assembled systems. J. Mater. Chem., 21, 12181-12187
Lévy, R., Thanh, N.T.K., Doty, R.C., Hussain, I., Nichols, R.J., Schiffrin, D.J., Brust, M. and Fernig, D.G. (2004). Rational and combinatorial design of peptide capping Ligands for gold nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 10076-10084
Shaw, C.P., Fernig, D.G. and Lévy, R., (2011) Gold nanoparticles as advanced building blocks for nanoscale self-assembled systems. J. Mater. Chem., 21, 12181-12187
Lévy, R., Thanh, N.T.K., Doty, R.C., Hussain, I., Nichols, R.J., Schiffrin, D.J., Brust, M. and Fernig, D.G. (2004). Rational and combinatorial design of peptide capping Ligands for gold nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 10076-10084
Project supervisors
Dr R Levy's profile is coming soon
View other supervisors at University of LiverpoolCareer overview
Professor Patricia Murray began her career as a registered nurse on a Head and Neck ward at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, where she worked for seven years. In 1994, she joined the University of Liverpool (UoL), graduating in 1997 with a first-class BSc degree in Molecular Biology, for which she received the Molecular Biology prize for academic achievement. She pursued a PhD at UoL in the field of stem cells and was awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship in 2002, enabling her to establish an independent research group. Throughout her career at UoL, Professor Murray has directed three EU-funded international research training programmes: Kidstem (2006-2010), NephroTools (2011-2015), and RenalToolBox (2018-2023). She has also served as a lead investigator in the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Safety and Efficacy Hub, focusing on imaging technologies. Professor Murray has successfully supervised 32 doctoral students and 10 postdoctoral researchers, and she obtained her professorship in stem cells and regenerative medicine in 2015. In addition to her research, Professor Murray is committed to scientific integrity and research ethics. She opposes the inappropriate use of stem cell therapies and has advocated for stricter regulations to protect patients. Her concerns regarding high-profile cases have been reported in various media outlets, including Science, the BMJ, BBC, the Telegraph, Private Eye, and the For Better Science blog. She served as an expert witness in the trial of surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who faced legal consequences for patient abuse related to his experimental surgeries. In recognition of her efforts in campaigning for scientific integrity and exposing research misconduct, Professor Murray was selected to receive the annual HealthSense Award in 2024.
Research interests
Professor Patricia Murray''s research focuses on stem cells and regenerative medicine. She has directed three EU-funded international research training programmes, namely Kidstem (2006-2010), NephroTools (2011-2015), and RenalToolBox (2018-2023). Additionally, she was a lead investigator in the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Safety and Efficacy Hub, which centred on imaging technologies. Professor Murray is also interested in scientific integrity and research ethics, particularly opposing the inappropriate use of stem cell therapies and advocating for stricter regulations to protect patients. Her concerns regarding high-profile cases of research misconduct have been reported in various outlets, including Science, the BMJ, and the BBC. She served as an expert witness in the trial of surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, who faced legal consequences for patient abuse related to stem cell therapies. In recognition of her efforts in promoting scientific integrity, she received the annual HealthSense Award in 2024.
Stem Cells
Regenerative Medicine
Scientific Integrity
Research Ethics
Patient Safety
Imaging Technologies
Research Training Programmes
Molecular Biology
Doctoral Supervision
Research Misconduct
HealthSense Award
EU-Funded Research
Independent Research Group
Clinical Trials
Patient Advocacy
Ethical Regulations
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