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PhD Position Atomic Force Microscopy of Designer Biomimetic Surfaces and their Interaction with Bacteria, University of Liverpool, UK

PhD Position Available from Oct 2023

University of Liverpool

Supervisory team:
Professor R Raval, Dept. of Chemistry.
Dr Marco Marcello, Centre for Cell Imaging.

Nature uses sophisticated 2D biomolecular assemblies to control and eradicate microbial cells. A major scientific challenge is to translate these approaches to artificially synthesised systems. This is an opportunity for a 3.5-year PhD position to create and image bio-inspired surfaces and understand the fundamental surface-cell interactions that control the attachment and adhesion of cells to such surfaces.

This project will create precision biomimetic surfaces that will be imaged with Atomic Force Microscopy. The interactions of these precision surface with single microbial cells will then be studied to understand nanoscale aspects of cell-surface interactions, adhesion and cell-cell communication at surfaces. The PhD programme brings together expertise in nanoscale surface assembly of biomolecule, cell-surface interaction probes, cell force microscopy and high resolution imaging in physical and biological sciences.

The PhD student will be based at the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, within the Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces and the Surface Science Research Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for precision surface assembly and characterisation. The Centre for Cell Imaging is a world-class resource for all aspects of biological imaging and bio-probing, allowing real-time imaging of biological responses, from single molecules to multicellular structures.

For additional information please check the job offer.
Closing date 31 May 2023