"Research Associate in Bioinspired Mesoporous Silica"

Research Associate in Bioinspired Mesoporous Silica

University of Sheffield - School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Placed On: 20th February 2026

Closes: 6th March 2026

Job Ref: 2264

Job description:

We have invented a green method to produce bioinspired mesoporous silica (BMS). Preliminary research and market analysis shows that this invention has commercial potential which needs to be demonstrated in terms of the application and scalability. A related project is studying the performance of BMS, in this project, we will investigate and demonstrate the scalability using our custom-built pilot plant. The expected outcome is reproducible and robust production of up to 1kg. This will derisk commercialisation and help plan future manufacturing.

The appointed researcher will lead the scale-up of synthesis and downstream processing by planning the activities and using the inputs from our external partners. You will be responsible for characterising the products and correlate their dependence on processing conditions in order to optimise the operations and product quality. We are working with a venture builder company and hence after a successful completion of this project, you will have the opportunity to participate in the commercialisation journey which could range from licencing to the formation of a spin-out company.

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more at sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits and join us to become part of something special.