Sound-activated injectable biomaterials for healing bones

Dr Nick D Evans

Friday, May 22, 2026

Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Prof Nicholas Evans, Prof Jonathan Dawson and Dr Janos Kanczler

Broken bones don’t always heal, and current treatments are invasive and imprecise. In this project you’ll explore how ultrasound can “switch on” bone repair using injectable biomaterials. By combining nanoclay scaffolds with responsive agents, you will aim to control where new bone forms for non-invasive regeneration.

Around 5–10% of bone fractures fail to heal properly, leading to chronic pain, repeat surgery and major healthcare costs. Current treatments rely on invasive procedures or high-dose biologics such as BMP-2, which lack precise control over where and when they act. There is a clear need for minimally invasive approaches that enable spatially and temporally controlled bone regeneration. This project will develop sound-activated injectable biomaterials that combine nanoclay-based osteogenic scaffolds with ultrasound-responsive microbubbles.

The central hypothesis is that ultrasound can be used to externally control growth factor presentation and mechanical stimulation within the material, enhancing osteogenesis while reducing required biologic dose. You'll:

• design and characterise nanoclay–microbubble composites, assessing rheology, injectability, acoustic response and controlled release
• investigate osteogenic signalling, mechanotransduction and mineralisation in human bone marrow stromal and osteoblast-lineage cells
• evaluate performance in organotypic bone models and ectopic mineralisation systems.

The project integrates biomaterials, ultrasound physics and mechanobiology, and offers strong translational potential. It includes a 3-month industrial placement with Renovos Biologics (FDA Breakthrough Device designation), providing training in scalable biomaterials and regulatory pathways. You'll access advanced imaging, acoustic characterisation and tissue culture facilities, and gain interdisciplinary skills spanning regenerative medicine, drug delivery and bioengineering.

You’ll train in biomaterials design, ultrasound-mediated therapeutic activation and bone cell biology, gaining hands-on experience in injectable scaffold formulation, acoustic characterisation, growth factor delivery, advanced cell culture and translational models of bone regeneration. You’ll also develop skills in interdisciplinary research, working across engineering, mechanobiology and regenerative medicine with academic and industry partners.

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in one of the following:

• biomedical engineering
• biology
• chemistry
• physics

Fees and funding

We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.

Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.

Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.

Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.

How to apply

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)

Contact us

Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

If you have a general question, feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.

Project leader

For an initial conversation, N.D.Evans@soton.ac.uk.