Design and Evaluation of an eye-on-a-chip Microfluidic Device

About the Project

With the increasing prevalence of debilitating eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and dry-eye syndromes, there is a pressing need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The development and testing of an ophthalmic drug currently rely mainly on animal models, which may require many years before results can be translated into clinical practice. The development of new medicines is resource-intensive, and the high costs of development and attrition rates in drug development represent significant challenges for the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare providers and patients. Enhanced screening tools could help address the problem of late-stage failures and reduce the attrition rate of drugs in the clinical development pipeline by providing more informative, critical information at an earlier stage. Most in-vitro studies are conducted using common 2D cell culture methods that fail to recapitulate the biological cues inherent in native tissue. This project will manufacture a microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip) device to mimic the 3D microenvironment in vitro more closely giving rise to the more physiologically relevant eye-on-a-chip.

Subject area

Bioprinting, lab-on-a-chip, microfluidics, ocular

Candidate requirements / Key skills required for the post

Applicants should have a 1st or 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Relevant subjects include Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biochemistry, Biological/Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, or a closely related discipline. Students who have a 2.2 honours degree and a Master’s degree may also be considered, but the School reserves the right to shortlist for interview only those applicants who have demonstrated high academic attainment to date.

Relevant links / more information

• http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Research/PostgraduatePositions/
• http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Research/

Keywords for search filters

Bioprinting, lab-on-a-chip, pharmaceutics, medicines, microfluidics, ocular

Training provided through the research project

The successful applicant will be integrated into QUB research groups of experienced researchers with access to world-leading facilities. The techniques that will be used during the project cover a wide-range and include: Contact Angle Goniometry (CAG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Rheology, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Bioprinted and microfluidic equipment and software, In Vitro Studies, and modelling.

Expected impact activities

The PhD student would be encouraged to engage in a variety of impact activities, disseminate the research project findings through public talks, and participate in QUB showcase events. Examples of impact activities include: Blogs or web articles, Magazine articles, public lectures, School visits, oral & poster Presentations (at local, national and international conferences), and Publication of scientific papers in peer reviewed journals.

Funding Notes

This project is not funded; applications are welcome from self-funding candidates.