New 3D printable functional materials for bioseparations

In my group, we employ 3D printing methods to produce perfectly ordered structures and novel materials with applications in a range of industries, e.g. bioprocessing, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and food. In particular, we have produced chromatography columns with precisely ordered design with a 10-fold performance increase with respect to their traditional counterparts. We are now capitalizing on these results to develop new materials and new 3D printing methods for the manufacture of such columns, expanding on novel applications such as gene therapy and stem cell separation.
In this project, you will be responsible to develop new smart materials for chromatography applications, and then employ suitable 3D printing techniques to shape them in the 3D space. You will then test these for the purification of model biomolecules, e.g. proteins, DNA, viruses and whole cells.
Through this project, you will learn practical aspects in bioprocessing, how to operate latest 3D printers, and get familiar with a range of experimental techniques. You will collaborate with research students and postdoctoral fellows currently working on other aspects of perfectly ordered 3D printed porous media.
Good troubleshooting, communication and team-working skills are necessary for this project.

Minimum entry qualification
Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, biomedical engineering, biochemistry or biotechnology. For further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants: https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/international/english/postgraduate