This PhD opportunity will be in the Bucknall research group at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Please contact David Bucknall ([Email Address Removed]) for further details
The need for materials to resist bacterial and/or virus growth on their surfaces has wide implications in various applications including medical and healthcare settings, water supplies and food packaging. Recent studies have shown that the Covid virus was able to survive on solid surfaces for extended periods and bacteria are known to colonize water pipes and can lead to waterborne infections and diseases if left untreated. A potential solution to these systemic issues is the use of plastics that are able to inhibit or completely prevent bacterial or viral growth. Current antimicrobial methodologies typically use commercial coatings that incorporate metallic (often Ag or Cu) nanoparticles or leachable compounds that are able to defeat the bacterial or viral threats. However, in both cases the efficacy is limited either by the loss of the active compounds out of the plastics with time and/or by the lack of biocompatibility of the plastic additives. In addition, since these are usually thin coatings, mechanical wear can remove the coatings from the surface of the material with time.
Given the limitations to current approaches, this PhD project will develop plastics that are inherently antibacterial and antiviral. Such plastics need to maintain their antimicrobial activity effectiveness over time and regardless of how the plastic is shaped, cut or scratched, whilst achieving a minimum set of mechanical and thermal properties. The development of such a functionally active plastic in this project, will exploit use of high-throughput microbial screening, polymer synthesis, polymer processing and property evaluation. As such, the project is ideally suited to someone who wishes to develop their skills at the intersection of material science, synthetic chemistry and microbiology.
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