| Title | Biomedical use of Silk |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | Philipp Seib |
| Research Area | Drug and stem cell delivery using biopolymers |
| Description | We have a particular interest in exploring the use of silk for drug and cell delivery applications. Silk is an approved biopolymer for use in humans and has remarkable physical properties (e.g. it is tougher than any manmade fibre). Silk, a common suture material, has long been recognised for its biocompatibility and biodegradability. We are using silk as a scaffold for tissue engineering and as a biopolymer for drug and cell delivery. Silk can be processed under mild aqueous conditions to generate several biomedically useful formats, including self-assembling silk hydrogels, nanoparticles, films and scaffolds. This PhD study will go beyond the current state-of-the-art to open up an entirely new silk toolbox. This PhD will deliver ambitious and adventurous science as evidenced by high impact publications resulting from this work. The exact project will be tailored according to the specific interest of the PhD candidate and will be informed by the latest discoveries of the Seib lab. |
| Techniques Used | A broad range of techniques will be used. These include but are not limited to biopolymer processing, DLS, DSC, FTIR, rheology, SDS-PAGE, RT-PCR, confocal microscopy and mammalian cell culture. |
| References | Holland C, Numata K, Rnjak-Kovacina J, Seib FP (2019). The biomedical use of silk: past, present, future. Advanced Healthcare Materials 8, e1800465 doi:10.1002/adhm.201800465 Totten JT, Wongpinyochit T, Carolla J, Duarte I, Seib FP (2019). PEGylation-dependent metabolic rewiring of macrophages with silk fibroin nanoparticles. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 11, 14515-14525. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b18716 |
| Conditions | Applicants should possess or be about to obtain a 1st class Honours or Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline in addition to receipt of satisfactory references and an IELTS score of 6.5 where appropriate. |
| Bench Fee | Running costs of £15000 p.a. will be associated with this project in addition to University tuition fees. |
| Suitable For | Biomedical Engineers, Pharmacists and allied science fields |
| Apply Now |