PhD Research Project

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Development of Smart Nanoparticle-aptamer sensing technology

Institution:

University of Leeds

Dept/School/Faculty:

Faculty of Biological Sciences

PhD Supervisor:

Prof P G Stockley

Co-Supervisor:

Dr D Zhou

Application Deadline:

No more applications being accepted

Funding Availability:

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Project

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Nanoparticles, such as strongly fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (also called quantum dots, QDs) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs), have unique, size-dependent optical and electrical properties that are distinct and unavailable from the bulk. They are well-suited for developing smart sensors. Aptamers are short single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules isolated in vitro from degenerate nucleotide sequence libraries by selection of their ability to bind specific targets. Compared to the widely used antibodies, aptamers have several advantageous properties, such as smaller size, broader target choice, higher ligand specificity with comparable binding affinity, and are more robust against thermal/chemical denaturation. They can be prepared by chemical synthesis, followed by chemical purification to avoid batch-to-batch variation and allow facile incorporation of functional groups. Despite these advantages, aptamers have yet to be widely adopted by sensing and diagnostic industries.

In this project we will combine the unique properties of nanoparticles (GNP, QD) and the strong and highly specific ligand binding of aptamers to develop smart nanoparticle-aptamer sensors that may be used for rapid, sensitive detection of a wide range of specific targets: disease markers, harmful food residues, and environmental pollutants. Specifically, we will prepare stable functional QDs and GNPs, and fully characterize them using a range of biophysical techniques (e.g. TEM, AFM, light scattering, UV-vis, IR, and fluorescence). We will conjugate them with specific aptamers to make smart sensors and evaluate their sensing performance against selected targets in buffer and relevant body fluids. We will optimize the surface chemistry and readout format to improve the sensor robustness and sensitivity, and explore their potential application as a rapid, sensitive screening tool for selected harmful food residues, environmental pollutants and/or disease biomarkers. These developments may produce a significant impact on healthcare and environment, allowing faster and earlier diagnosis of diseases and more effective food and environment safety monitoring.

Funding Notes:

FBS has one EPSRC studentship available; this project is one of a range available.
EU candidates must have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 years.
The studentship will provide fees and stipend (£13,590 for 2012-13) for 3.5 years.
Applicants should have a 2.1 or above at undergraduate level. Please include CV and transcripts with your application (link below).