PhD Studentship (NERC GW4+ DTP) - A Novel Biosensing System for Detecting Concentrations and Tissue Distribution of Contaminants in Living Animals (September 2025 Entry)

About the Partnership

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP). The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the University of Exeter plus five Research Organisation partners: British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Natural History Museum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. The partnership aims to provide a broad training in earth and environmental sciences, designed to train tomorrow’s leaders in earth and environmental science. For further details about the programme please see http://nercgw4plus.ac.uk/

Project details

For information relating to the research project please contact the lead Supervisor via f.vollmer@exeter.ac.uk

Project Aims and Methods

A novel biosensing system for detecting concentrations and tissue distribution of contaminants in living animals -
This PhD project focuses on developing a novel biosensing system to detect and map the distribution of contaminants in live animals, specifically using zebrafish. The project is supervised by a multidisciplinary team from Exeter University and Cefas. Traditional methods for monitoring pollutants in organisms often require invasive biopsies or animal destruction, limiting their effectiveness. This studentship aims to create a more dynamic, non-invasive system using advanced microscopy and transgenic zebrafish to monitor contaminants like mycotoxins in real-time. 

A key innovation is the use of whispering-gallery mode sensors, a technology developed in Prof. Vollmer's laboratory. These sensors involve glass and polymer microspheres that detect biomolecules by optical probing with laser light, allowing label-free detection down to single molecules. In this project, these microspheres will be coated with specific antibodies to detect toxins such as aflatoxins (AFs) in zebrafish larvae. By microinjecting these sensors and monitoring them via light sheet microscopy, the project will provide unprecedented insights into the bioavailability, distribution, metabolism, and clearance of toxins. 

The student will receive comprehensive training in optical biosensing, molecular genetics, imaging techniques, ecotoxicology, and health biology. 

Project partners

The Project CASE partner is The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas).  

Training

The DTP offers funding to undertake specialist training relating to the student’s specialist area of research. 

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above.

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