Chemical Engineering: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in The Design, Manufacturing and Testing of “Living” Cellular Microfluidic Sensors

Cells are highly sensitive to environmental changes, with factors like temperature and pH affecting their shape and behaviour. This project will use these responses to design, create, and test microfluidic fibres containing cells. These "living sensors" will react to external stimuli such as drugs, electric signals, mechanical forces, and temperature changes. The project has potential applications in healthcare diagnostics and drug development.

The candidate will design fibres having controlled cells spacing, by using the principle of viscoelasticity-induced ordering in straight microchannels (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsaenm.2c00060). The advantage over traditional methodologies is that cells will be aligned along a single line in the fibre, meaning that the external stimuli will be uniformly felt along the cell population line, resulting in the first-of-its-kind living tuneable sensor with cell-specific response. Unit sensors will be robustly characterised. Data will train a machine learning model to optimise sensor configurations (for multiple unit sensors) for a given application. The project will bring together Soft Matter, Biomedical Engineering and Data Science to generate a versatile tool with great potential across several fields. Experimental activities will mainly be carried out at the Rheological Microfluidic lab led by Dr. Francesco Del Giudice. 

The candidate will use advanced equipment, including microfluidic fabrication facilities, flow observation stations, fibre generation tools, and cutting-edge rheometry. They will also access biomechanical characterisation tools to test sensor performance and benchmark quality. Training will include developing machine learning algorithms, enhancing both experimental and analytical skills. Collaboration with research groups and industry stakeholders will provide valuable experience, preparing the candidate for careers in academia or industry.

The Rheological Microfluidic Lab, part of the Complex Fluid Group, explores microfluidics and complex fluids like polymer solutions. Our work includes pioneering particle co-encapsulation, developing rapid rheological measurement devices, and integrating machine learning in droplet microfluidics. Our goal is to introduce disruptive technologies that challenge the status quo.

The student will also work within the Biomedical Engineering Simulation and Testing (BEST) Lab led by Dr Hari Arora. There are currently >20 researchers in the group with >10 PhD level working on advanced experimental and computational mechanics problems. A relevant area of focus within the group includes the development of novel measurement methods to study medical devices and suitable simulated environments for biomechanical testing. There is a wide range of expertise within the BEST Lab to support on specialist topics as well as interdisciplinary skills development of the successful candidate. 

Funding Details

Funding Comment

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £19,237 for 2024/25).

Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.

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