Fully Funded SUSPRS PhD Scholarship: Negative Pressure and Cavitation as Stability Limits in Biological Systems

Funding providers: Swansea University Strategic Partnership Research Scholarships (SUSPRS) with Université Grenoble Alpes, France 

Subject areas: Chemical Engineering

Project start date:  

• 1 October 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Project description:  

This is a joint PhD programme between Swansea University and Université Grenoble Alpes.

The preservation of normal form and function of biomolecules is critical for sustaining life. When living organisms are exposed to conditions beyond a critical point, irreversible degradation or denaturation can occur. This project seeks to study the behaviour of protein solutions under varied conditions of both temperature and pressure and aims to observe the effect of these conditions upon physical attributes which are linked to natural function. The project will principally focus on biologically extreme conditions including negative pressure and/or supercooling of aqueous protein solutions i.e. studies will focus on the behaviour of biological materials under metastable conditions with respect to the phase diagram of water.

The programme of research seeks to develop pressure systems suitable for the study of biological samples, model the thermodynamics and nucleation expected at extreme conditions and take into account various transitions of proteins with respect to changes in thermodynamic conditions. 

It is anticipated that the use of advanced scattering and characterisation techniques will be employed to probe modifications to both protein structure and mechanical properties, for example the use of FT-IR spectroscopy and rheometrical techniques will precede applications for beam time at the neutron facility at Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble.

Project work will be conducted at both Swansea University Bay Campus and UGA in association with the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics (LIPhY), respectively.

Eligibility

Candidates must hold a UK bachelor’s degree with a minimum of Upper Second Class honours or overseas bachelor’s degree deemed equivalent to UK honours (by UK ECCTIS) and achieved a grade equivalent to UK Upper Second Class honours in Physics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related subject. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency.

Applicants must hold a master's qualification to comply with Grenoble’s admissions requirements.

This scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.

Please visit our website for more information on eligibility.

Funding Details

Additional Funding Information

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend of £19,237.

Additional research expenses will also be available.

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