NERC RED-ALERT CDT: Heavy-Metal Sensing and Corresponding Biomarker Monitoring in Freshwater Systems: Direct and Indirect Detection with Modular Fluorescent and Peptide Nucleic Acid Biosensors.

About the Project

This PhD project integrates two complementary approaches for detecting and monitoring heavy metals—both directly through chemical sensing and indirectly through correlations with biological stress biomarkers associated with metal exposure. The research will create a new paradigm in fluorescent molecular sensing with a single modular platform for real-time detection of toxic metals and their biochemical biomarkers in UK freshwater systems. Work-packages include developing pattern-based fluorescent sensor arrays and designing antisense PNA probes for hybrid lab-on-chip biosensors.

Training Provided

Interdisciplinary expertise in molecular probe synthesis, fluorescence assays, peptide nucleic acid design, analytical chemistry, electrochemical sensing, graphene materials, bioinformatics, and environmental field validation.

Project Keywords

Biomarker detection, analytical chemistry, metal sensing, lab-on-a-chip