Microfluidic platforms for airborne pathogen analysis in a clinical setting

About the Project

The monitoring of bioaerosols, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and pollen, is of great importance for human health and our environment, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection risks can be reduced through aerobiome monitoring or through intelligent design of indoor air flows and ventilation, particularly in high-risk environments such as hospitals and transport hubs. There is a need for rapid detection of bioaerosols, both to identify hazards early and to evaluate mitigation strategies. However, traditional laboratory workflows are slow, laborious, and require skilled personnel. While real-time monitors are emerging, they remain expensive and are still being evaluated for many bioaerosol types, limiting their widespread deployment. Miniaturised, low-cost sensors that integrate sampling and analysis offer opportunities for reducing workflow while enabling scalable networks.

This project will focus on the development of novel miniaturised platforms for the sampling and detection of bioaerosols relevant to public health, with particular emphasis on clinical environments. This will include working with project partners at the University of Hertfordshire to test their miniaturised electrostatic precipitator (ESP) aerosol sampler for the collection of pathogenic bioaerosols. Testing will be conducted in the Chamber for Environmental Control of Airborne Microorganisms (CECAM) facility at the University of Leeds, a new state-of-the-art 80 m^3 bioaerosol chamber (approximately the size of a hospital room) that allows for controlled release, transport and analysis of bioaerosols. The project will also involve the development of microfluidic platforms for automated analysis of collected aerosol samples via on-chip bioassays. Microfluidic technologies enable the manipulation of small volumes of fluids to integrate and automate complex, multi-step biochemical processes, offering rapid, low-resource analysis. These platforms will be tested against a state-of-the-art fluorescence-based bioaerosol monitor, the Rapid-E, in the CECAM facility.

The project comprises the following objectives:

1. Assess ESP sampling performance for pathogens relevant to public health.
2. Develop rapid microfluidic bioanalysis platforms.
3. Integrate and validate these novel technologies against a state-of-the-art bioaerosol monitor (Rapid-E).
4. Apply these tools to the assessment of indoor air flows and ventilation.
5. Progress towards integrated sample-to-answer bioaerosol sensing suitable for networked deployment.

The successful candidate would join a friendly and supportive research environment and gain interdisciplinary skills in microfabrication, aerosol science, bioanalysis, and instrument development. This project is ideal for candidates from the (bio)analytical science, chemistry, engineering, physics, biology, or related disciplines who are motivated to develop impactful technologies for real-world public health applications.

Funding Notes

One full 3.5 years PhD scholarship is available working across the School of Civil Engineering and the School of Earth and Environment in 2026/27. This scholarship is part of the UKRI Research England: Expanding Excellence in England (E3) grant. This scholarship is open to UK applicants and covers UK-home rated tuition fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant matching UKRI rates of £21,805 per year for 3.5 years. Training and support will also be provided, alongside a research budget for equipment, consumables, travel (e.g. for conferences) and research visits.