Materials and Nanobiology Research Theme
Within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, there are currently around 14 academic members of staff, 5 postdocs / experimental officers and 9 PhD students who are actively engaged in research related to the Materials and Nanobiology Theme. The theme is led by Dr. John Varcoe (Reader in Materials Chemistry and EPSRC Leadership Fellow). The theme also involves interested parties from other Faculties of the University of Surrey and interested outside agencies (such as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science and the Health Protection Agency).
This multidisciplinary theme focusses on the application of functional materials for many applications as well as nanomaterials at the physical and life sciences interface. Accordingly, researchers are drawn mainly from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences as well as the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The Materials and Nanobiology Theme covers many aspects of Materials in Bionanotechnology (including molecular imprinting and biosensors, biomodification of carbon nanotubes, dielectrophoretic movement of nanoparticles, development of nanostructures and sol-gel hybrids; and nanotechnology ethics) and Materials Chemistry (including for clean energy generation, energy storage, waste water treatment (microbial fuel cells), desalination, metal-organic frameworks, and the development of high performance polymers for wear resistance and molecular capture).
Funded research projects include 3 national (EPSRC managed and RCUK Energy Programme funded) consortia in Biological Fuel Cells (8 universities), Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (4 universities) and Energy Storage (6 universities). There is also major funding in the area of non-biological fuel cells and water technologies. We also have FP7 projects in Health Impacts of Nanoparticles and Characterisation of Polymer Nanostructures.
Our Materials and Nanobiology research has a high national and international profile and consistently attracts government, EU, charities and industrial funding. Academic research staff are also pro-actively engaged in postgraduate and postdoctoral research training and public engagement.