Programmable Coral Scaffolds: Bioengineered Platforms for Stem Cell-Driven Bone Regeneration

About the Project

Project Title: Programmable Coral Scaffolds: Bioengineered Platforms for Stem Cell-Driven Bone Regeneration

Lead Institute / Faculty: Medicine

Main Supervisor:​​Janos Kanczler

Other members of the supervisory team: Cecilia D’Angelo, Roxanna Ramnarine Sanchez, Jon Dawson, Joerg Wiedenmann,

Duration of the award: 3.5 years

Closing date:                      5th June 2026

Shortlisting by:                  12th June 2026

Interview Panel Date:     24th June 2026

Start Date:                         21st Sept 2026

Project description:

Large and complex bone defects remain a major clinical challenge, with current grafting approaches limited by donor-site morbidity, supply constraints, and variable healing outcomes. This interdisciplinary PhD project will develop an innovative and sustainable solution by engineering living, coral-derived biomaterials that actively support skeletal regeneration.

Coral skeletons offer a unique combination of high porosity, bioactive surface chemistry, and bone-like mechanical properties. Recent advances in nutrient-controlled coral aquaculture have shown that coral skeletal architecture can be “tuned” through changes in the organic matrix (OM), effectively allowing corals to function as natural bioprinters with programmable material properties. Preliminary work demonstrates that lab-grown coral produced under nutrient-replete conditions significantly enhances human skeletal stem cell adhesion, viability, differentiation, and vascular integration, outperforming other natural and synthetic biomaterials.

This project will characterise how nutrient environments alter coral OM composition, surface nanotopography, and mechanical structure, and how these features modulate skeletal stem cell behaviour. Coral scaffolds will then be combined with osteoinductive factors and cutting-edge stem cell technologies to create dynamic, bioactive platforms capable of driving robust bone regeneration. Advanced imaging (micro‑CT, confocal microscopy), stem‑cell assays, and an in vivo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model will be used to evaluate osteogenic and angiogenic potential.

Working across coral biology, biomaterials engineering, and regenerative medicine, the student will join a supervisory team with internationally recognised expertise in coral physiology, skeletal stem cell science, and therapeutic biomaterials. The project offers exceptional training in aquaculture, stem cell biology, biomineralisation, nanomaterials, and translational tissue engineering.

The anticipated outcomes include the identification of key OM features that enhance osteoinduction and the development of clinically scalable, programmable biomaterials for advanced bone repair. This research has significant translational potential, offering a sustainable alternative to current grafting materials and advancing new routes to personalised regenerative therapies.

The successful candidate is likely to have the following qualifications:

• A 1st or 2:1 degree in a relevant discipline and/or second degree with a related Masters.

Administrative contact and how to apply:

Please complete the University's online application form, which you can find at

You should enter Janos Kanczler as your proposed supervisor. To support your application, provide an academic CV (including contact details of two referees), official academic transcripts and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date).

Informal enquiries relating to the project or candidate suitability should be directed to Janos Kanczler​jk9@soton.ac.uk or Cecilia D’Angelo C.Dangelo@soton.ac.uk