School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering

Applications are invited for a 3.5 year PhD studentship, funded by the Chemical Engineering Department at Loughborough University to work on Microfluidic Protein Separation. Fees will be paid at a UK/EU rate due to funding restrictions EU/home students will recieve fees plus a tax-free stipend of £13,590/year). The project will be based in the Micro/Nano Engineering Research Group within Chemical Engineering and will be supervised by Dr Hemaka Bandulasena and Prof Victor Starov. This is a collaborative project between Loughborough and KIST Europe (Korea Institute of Science and Technology). The candidate will also have the opportunity to work in KIST laboratories in Germany.

The overarching aim of the research project is to develop a novel microfluidic device for separating human cell membrane proteins that are important in medical applications. We will target specific proteins that are difficult to separate by conventional methods and that are useful in pharmaceutical industry. Microfluidic approach will provide tight control of protein molecules by manipulating strict conditions required for their effective separation. The student will have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art flow visualization tools and engage with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) during their PhD.   
 
The candidates should be in possession of a good honours degree in chemical engineering, mathematics or physical sciences. We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated person with creative skills. The successful candidate should have a strong interest in experimental work related to microfluidic systems.

Loughborough University. Voted Sunday Times ‘University of the Year’ 2008-2009, winner of The Times Higher ‘Best Student Experience’ poll for five years running (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) and with over 3,200 staff and in excess of 16,000 students, Loughborough University is one of the top 20 institutions in the UK. The University has an impressive and pleasant campus in the heart of the East Midlands – the largest single site campus in the UK. Its world-class sports and educational facilities, combined with the lively, diverse student community, make it a fantastic place to study and socialise.
 
Details about the Department can be found at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cg/.  Application forms are available from the Apply link below.
 
Informal enquiries are welcome and should be directed to Dr Hemaka Bandulasena (e-mail: H.C.H.Bandulasena@lboro.ac.uk), tel: 01509 222515.
 
Further information about Dr Hemaka Bandulasena: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cg/about/people/hemaka-bandulasena.html
 
Closing date for receipt of applications is 15.10.2013 (apply soon).