The University of Brighton is offering 19 fully funded PhD studentships for 2015 entry.

The project

Acute and acute on chronic liver failure carry high mortality rates and disease management remains a major challenge. Liver transplant is currently the only effective treatment option for patients with acute liver decompensation. However, the severe shortage of donor organs means that one in seven patients die before a donor organ can be found. Bioartificial liver (BAL) systems offer replacement of liver function using a tissue engineering approach. However, key problems with current experimental BAL systems exist in design efficacy, in low oxygenation levels for bioreactor hepatocytes, the absence of cell-cell signalling for normal hepatocyte function, poor scaffold selection for simulation of the in vivo hepatocyte microenvironment and insufficient blood contact for cells to function at an appropriate level for clinical impact. There remains no BAL design with proven clinical efficacy.

Cryogelation technology offers a progressive approach to BAL design as a bioscaffold which maintains a perfused, highly oxygenated microenvironment for three dimensional attachment and growth of hepatocyte cultures over time. Cryogels are ideal biocompatible, polymeric matrices for the cultivation of mammalian cells in the design of bioreactor systems. They have an interconnected pore system with a pore size range allowing free passage of micro- and macroparticles within a cell suspension, plasma or blood. They are haemocompatible and can be modified for cell attachment and growth. However, the most appropriate porous scaffold formulation, cell loading capacity and fluid dynamics profile remain unknown. The aim of the project is thus to test the hypothesis that a cell loaded cryogel scaffold, with appropriate blood flow dynamics and ability to support a metabolising cell load, may be used to design a prototype BAL. Such a device would have the potential to act as a bridge to liver transplant or regeneration following acute liver decompensation, thus increasing the life expectancy and quality of the liver failure patients treatment.

The PhD student will engineer a prototype BAL device comparing different cryogel polymer formulations for optimal porosity, fluid dynamics and cell growth characteristics, considering oxygenation and nutrient supply.

The student will work within an interdisciplinary team of engineers and biomedical materials scientists with links to an international network of academic, clinical and industrial researchers interested in novel biomaterials approaches to treat liver failure.

Supervisors

Lead: Dr Irina Savina

Second: Dr Susan Sandeman

Third: Dr Cyril Crua

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 undergraduate degree and desirably hold or expect to achieve excellent grades in a masters degree, in a relevant subject.

Applicants are also required to submit a 1,000-word research proposal.

Funding

For UK and EU students this studentship comprises £4,620 per year to cover annual tuition fees and a contribution towards living expenses of £15,480 per year.

For students from outside of the UK/EU the funding will comprise £14,130 per year to cover annual international tuition fees and a contribution towards living expenses of £6,170 per year. 

How to apply

Find out more and apply online   

Deadline for applications: 26 February 2015, 4pm

+44 (0)1273 761148
brighton-doctoral-college<στο>brighton.ac.uk