Textile diagnostic wound dressings

This PhD project will develop wearable biochemical sensors for wound model systems in collaboration with The University of Wollongong. Textile electrofluidics will allow separation of wound components for enhanced sensing. The sensors will conform to the wound to allow on-body measurements.

Start date

1 October 2023

Duration

36 months

Application deadline

Funding source

University of Surrey

Funding information

Full tuition fee cover, stipend of c £17,000 p.a. and a £3,000 Research Training Support Grant.

About

Chronic wounds are wounds that fail to show a timely improvement during treatment and those that exceed a 3-month healing process. Biomarkers that can predict chronic wounds include blood pressure, temperature, oxygen, pH, lactate, glucose and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 can then lead to over-stimulated metalloprotease (MMP) production. Chronic wounds, often associated with infection, present excess protease expression, due to both MMPs and bacterial proteases since bacteria release proteases to create a more favourable growth environment during infection.

Wound fluids are complex matrices, which present difficulties for analysis. Separation of wound fluid components would improve analysis and allow more specific sensing with better outcomes. Electrofluidics are a developing textile-based approach to interrogate, manipulate, and quantify target species during electrodriven separations on threads/textiles.

Combining the separating power of electrofluidics with textile-based sensing for proteases will generate a sensor, capable of unambiguous sensing for infection in chronic wounds.

Supervisors

Related links

Bio-sensing and wearables in healthcare

Additional notes

All facilities required to do the work are available at Surrey and/or Wollongong.

If applying please confirm your application by emailing Dr Carol Crean at c.crean@surrey.ac.uk

Eligibility criteria

Open to UK and international candidates.

Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper-second class degree in a relevant discipline or a lower second plus a good Masters degree (distinction normally required).

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted via the Chemistry PhD programme page on the "Apply" tab. Please clearly state the studentship title and supervisor on your application. In place of a research proposal you should upload a document stating the title of the project that you wish to apply for, the name of the relevant supervisor and a personal statement. The statement should explain how your previous experience has prepared you for doctoral research and this project in particular. Explain how this PhD will support your career aspirations (maximum 500 words).

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Application deadline

Contact details

Carol Crean
30 AZ 03
Telephone: +44 (0)1483 686640
E-mail: c.crean@surrey.ac.uk
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