Automation has revolutionised manufacturing, logistics, and myriad other aspects of modern life. While this includes some scientific laboratories, the specialist nature of experimental research means one-size-fits-all automation is frequently inadequate. Enabling more scientists to automate their experiments will lead to higher throughput, more reliable results, and a more trustworthy scientific record.
This project aims to make custom laboratory automation accessible to a wider range of researchers – those with less programming experience, scientists without access to expensive automation systems, and experimentalists who must customise their hardware. We will meet this aim by developing hardware and software approaches to create new instruments, and link existing ones together. We will use technology developed for widely-used products, such as Internet of Things communication protocols, embedded microcontrollers and low-cost sensors.
Over the last five years, Dr Bowman’s research group has led the OpenFlexure Project. We release designs, instructions, and software for an automated lab microscope, under a license that permits anyone to build, sell, and improve it. This enables local producers like BTech in Tanzania to make and, crucially, fix microscopes in underserved regions - for education, research, and potentially medical use. Thousands of microscopes have been made around the world by the OpenFlexure community, giving access to sophisticated, automated microscopy.
Over the coming years, we collect calibration data to understand how well each microscope has been built, testing the hypothesis that sharing technology openly makes it more reproducible. The technology that underpins the OpenFlexure Microscope can be generalised to other instruments, so building and using this evidence base could have far-reaching impact.
This PhD project will involve developing protocols to improve the reproducibility of microscopy experiments, sharing those through open hardware and software designs, and contributing to global efforts to make use of automation for better microscopy in both scientific research and healthcare. There will be opportunities to work with cutting-edge microscopy techniques, biomedical researchers, companies, and community groups that are all connected to the Openflexure project.
Specifically, we will build on the foundation of the OpenFlexure project to support more automated, more repeatable experiments. This will include developing and sharing automation code, creating open hardware, and working with collaborative groups to agree standards and protocols. You will get involved with the development of a thriving open source hardware and software project, which includes hands-on labwork as well as software development. Our group has a track record of creating tools that can be relied upon by others, and we place a high priority on research integrity and quality assurance, skills that are highly valued by future industrial employers.
This project would suit a student who is keen to engage with high quality open source software and hardware development. You will join the Optics Group, based in Physics and Astronomy, a research team that covers a wide range of pure and applied research, including quantum imaging, fundamental properties of light, atom optics, and microscopy. However, this project is highly interdisciplinary and will involve work with biologists, medics, engineers, and social scientists.
A degree in physics, engineering, or computer science would be the best preparation for this project, though candidates who have qualified in another discipline (especially biomedical) will be considered if they are able to show they have (or can learn) the relevant skills and background knowledge in physics and engineering.
There is significant flexibility in where your PhD would focus, and interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr Bowman informally to discuss further, before or after submitting an application.
How to Apply: Please refer to the following website for details on how to apply:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/.
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