Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major societal concern resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities globally each year. In the UK alone, the number of cases is projected to increase by 75% by 2050, with economic costs expected to reach £40 billion annually if not tackled. In 2021, the UK Government’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia Report highlighted the imperative to act: ‘funding must be directed towards development of novel methods for early diagnosis.’
For many years, it was believed that markers for AD could only be detected in the brain or in the spinal fluid. Following recent breakthroughs, it has now become clear that blood-based biomarkers can also predict the onset of AD. Together with recently developed drugs, this means that early detection can now lead to a much improved quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.
Here, you will learn to leverage major developments in photonic biosensing – using light to detect and discriminate biomarkers - to accelerate the development of a novel blood test technology for rapid AD biomarker detection. Building on recent work in interferometric biosensing and guided-mode resonances, you will optimize the technology to allow for the detection of multiple biomarkers in parallel, aim for a limit-of-detection of sub ng/mL in laboratory analytes and blood plasma, and demonstrate rapid (minute timescale) detection capabilities. Successful completion of this project would represent a major step towards an inexpensive and highly sensitive blood test accessible to millions of patients globally.
You will develop a range of highly interdisciplinary skills including: surface-immobilization chemistry; photonic sensor and instrumentation development; protein handling and purification; single-molecule imaging; optical alignment; microfluidics; market research; commercially-driven technology development; image analysis; software development; programming; statistical analysis and the application of mathematical models to experimental data.
You will be supported by two supervisors based in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York, and collaborate with academic and industrial experts in photonic biosensing.
The School of Physics, Engineering and Technology contains state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that your research project will benefit from, and you will integrate within a vibrant research team that regularly hosts seminars and workshops. As a PhD student, you will also have opportunities to attend graduate skills training courses and scientific conferences. The research team are also involved in public outreach activities and you will be encouraged to become involved in these opportunities.
Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr Quinn.
Staff Profiles:
Dr Steven Quinn:
Professor Thomas Krauss:
Lab Websites:
Twitter Accounts:
https://twitter.com/Steve_Quinn_Lab
Benefits of being in the DiMeN DTP:
This project is part of the Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership (DiMeN DTP), a diverse community of PhD students across the North of England researching the major health problems facing the world today. Our partner institutions (Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, York and Sheffield) are internationally recognised as centres of research excellence and can offer you access to state-of the-art facilities to deliver high impact research.
We are very proud of our student-centred ethos and committed to supporting you throughout your PhD. As part of the DTP, we offer bespoke training in key skills sought after in early career researchers, as well as opportunities to broaden your career horizons in a range of non-academic sectors.
Being funded by the MRC means you can access additional funding for research placements, international training opportunities or internships in science policy, science communication and beyond. See how our current DiMeN students have benefited from this funding here: https://www.dimen.org.uk/blog
Further information on the programme and how to apply can be found on our website:
https://www.dimen.org.uk/how-to-apply
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