PhD in Biomaterial Science

PhD Studentship: Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogel (FRESH) additive manufacturing of sustainable porous calcium phosphate scaffolds for hard tissue engineering/nThe overall aim of this interdisciplinary PhD project is to manufacture porous scaffolds that mimic trabecular bone tissue using the Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogel (FRESH) printing technique. This method consists of printing the bioink into a sacrificial thermo-reversible bath, offering mechanical strength and shape fidelity preventing collapse during printing./nPolyphosphate gels made via sol-gel chemistry and/or coacervation embedded with therapeutic ions/molecules will be used as novel bioinks that possess bone regenerative properties as well as antibacterial/anti-inflammatory capabilities./nThe printed scaffold is expected to promote bone regeneration via formation of the bone-inducing phase hydroxyapatite on its surface when in contact with body fluids, promoting osteoblast attachment and proliferation./nStructural and morphological characterisation of the glasses and scaffolds will be investigated using a multi-technique approach involving electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), thermal analysis, gas physisorption, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy at synchrotron radiation facilities. Cytocompatibility will be assessed on osteoblasts via MTT testing./nSpanning across materials science, chemistry, biology and medicine, this proposal is truly multidisciplinary. The PhD candidate will develop a range of complementary skills in fabrication (3D printing, electrospinning), cell culture and cutting-edge characterisation techniques./nLocation: Guildford./nSupervisors: Dr Daniela Carta, Dr Alessandra Pinna, Dr Jorge Gutierrez-Merino, Professor Mark Baker and Dr Tan Sui./nStarting in October 2026.