PhD Studentship: Developing a Manufacturing Strategy for the Production of Therapeutic Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanoparticles that drive a broad range of developmental and regenerative events throughout the body. Within the field of regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are now being used for the production of therapeutic EVs.

This PhD project builds on aligned industry and EPSRC funded projects within the research group of Dr Owen Davies (OD) that seek to develop EV therapies for a variety of therapeutic applications (e.g. wound healing and regenerative orthopaedics).

In this project, the successful candidate will apply bioreactors to scale up EV manufacture and identify solutions to permit off the shelf applications (e.g. freeze-drying). You will identify critical quality attributes relevant to EV therapeutics and monitor these during the manufacturing process. These developments will be critical in ensuring real world impact is achieved so that promising regenerative therapies have the best chance of progressing from bench to bedside.

You will complete your research at Loughborough University, which is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities. Research will be conducted between the School of Sport Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS) and Centre for Biological Engineering (CBE). The candidate will benefit from a supervisory team with expertise across areas of EV science and bio-manufacturing: Dr Owen Davies (SSEHS), Prof. Karen Coopman (CBE), and Dr Andrew Capel (SSEHS). The School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences offers an exciting, interdisciplinary research environment, where research students work alongside expert staff with a diverse range of interests and experience. By studying for a PhD with us, you will be joining a thriving research community of over 300 Doctoral Researchers from across the globe.

In REF 2021, 94% of the work submitted in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences was judged to be top-rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, with 100% of research impact was rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Primary supervisor: Dr Owen Davies (SSEHS)

Secondary supervisor: Professor Karen Coopman (Chemical Engineering)

Entry requirements:
Students should have a 2.1 or above in a relevant subject (e.g. bioengineering, biomanufacturing, biological or biomedical sciences subject).

A Masters level qualification in a bioengineering or bioprocessing subject would be highly advantageous.

Practical experience in basic cell culture and analysis is required. Experience with the culture of mesenchymal stem cells or bioreactors will be an advantage.

English language requirements:
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/applicants/english/).

Funding information:
The studentship is for 3 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.

Apply
To apply for this vacancy online, please click the Apply button above. Under programme name, select School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. Please quote the advertised reference number: SSEHS/ODKC in your application.

To avoid delays in processing your application, please ensure that you submit the minimum supporting documents.

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