PhD Studentship: Water-neutral and Zero-waste Oligonucleotides Manufacturing for a Sustainable Pharmaceutical Industry

Start date: 29/09/2025   

Studentship funding

Sponsored by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Water Infrastructure and Resilience (WIRe) and GSK, this PhD studentship will provide a bursary of £24,000 (tax free) and cover registration fees for four years. 

Type of opportunity 

Fully-funded studentship - Opportunities which are fully funded (e.g. covers all fees and stipend) 

Eligibility & Related Project Details

Type of studentship: CDT 

Fee status of eligible applicants: UK and International

Duration of Award if full time preferred*: 4 years 

1^st Supervisor: Dr Luca Alibardi    

2^nd Supervisor: Prof Ewan McAdam

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Introductory Paragraph

This exciting fully funded PhD is developed with the global pharmaceutical manufacturer GSK and has an enhanced stipend of £24,000 per annum. The project will define the scientific principles to unlock the recovery of resources during the manufacturing steps of oligonucleotides and will identify the possibilities for the pharmaceutical industry to move towards a water-neutral and zero-waste sector. 

Main Copy (advised structure) 

Oligonucleotides are a novel class of therapeutic molecules currently under widespread development across the pharmaceutical industry due to their potential for treating large groups of rare and common diseases. The manufacturing of these innovative molecules is expected to expand rapidly across the pharmaceutical sector in the next few years with production sites pushed to achieve tonnes/year capacity. Inefficiencies in the current synthesis, purification and isolation pose substantial challenges to the environmental sustainability of their manufacture and a significant cost and waste burden. Large resource footprints imply a considerable production of wastewater and final residues with associated costs for treatment and disposal (typically through incineration) with substantial carbon, energy and water penalties associated.

The global pharmaceutical manufacturer GSK has commitments to become water-neutral in operations and a zero-waste manufacturer. By sponsoring this project, GSK wants to explore opportunities to achieve sustainable management of resources in the production cycle for oligonucleotides by minimising water demand and maximising recovery of resources and values from residues but without compromising on the high-quality standards and the safety of these therapeutic products.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a first or second-class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline. This project would suit candidates with a background in chemical, water, environmental or process engineering and science or other relevant engineering/science degrees. The ideal candidate should have some understanding of chemical processes and manufacturing, water science, waste management and membrane science. The candidate should be self-motivated and have good communication skills for regular interaction with other stakeholders, with an interest in applied scientific research. 

Funding

This studentship is open to both UK and international applicants. However, we are only permitted to offer no more than 30% of the projects in this cohort to applicants from outside the UK. Funded studentships will only be awarded to exceptional candidates due to the competitive nature of the funding.

How to apply 

For further information please contact: Dr Luca Alibardi         
Name: Luca Alibardi
Email: l.alibardi@cranfield.ac.uk

Academic profile link:  https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/people/dr-luca-alibardi-563115

Keywords: oligonucleotides, pharmaceutical industry, manufacturing, sustainability, resource recovery, membrane treatments, engineering, science, zero-waste, water-neutrality

Application deadline: 26/03/2025

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