Alexia Beale

Biocoatings, which confine living bacteria within a colloidal polymer layer, have great potential to be used to perform useful functions such as hydrogen production, carbon capture or nitrification. There are three main challenges to overcome to increase the viability and chemical yield of the confined bacteria: low porosity which reduces the permeability of small molecule metabolites, high osmotic stress and also cell dehydration which bacteria experience during the drying process of established coating methods. My research studies techniques to increase the porosity and reduce osmotic stress and cell dehydration in the creation of biocoatings using the coagulant dipping process to create coatings with open microstructures.