PhD Studentship: Fully-funded BBSRC iCASE Award (sponsored by Unilever R&D): Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of the Enzyme-Catalysed Degradation of Water-Soluble Polymers

Start date: February 2025

Applications are invited for a fully-funded four-year PhD to commence in February 2025. 

The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Science and Health, and will be supervised by Professor Paul Cox and Professor Andrew Pickford.

The bursary covers tuition fees for four years and a stipend in line with the UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25) plus an additional £4,400 as part of Unilever’s contribution to the project). The grant has generous provision for project costs/consumables. 

The work on this project could involve:

•       Using Computational Chemistry methods to model enzymes and polymers.
•       Designing and optimising novel biodegradable polymers.
•       Integrating novel AI tools into the discovery process for new polymer candidates.

Project description

Biodegradable polymers must break down into defined metabolic end-points, without pollution or deleterious effects, within a reported timeframe. Within the consumer goods industry and regulatory frameworks, standard proxy tests are used to validate the ultimate biodegradability of formulation ingredients. Although the formulation polymers currently used commercially are assessed as being safe, many of them are non-biodegradable against these standards. Globally, consumer and regulatory pressure is driving a migration towards polymers that do not remain in the environment. However, replacing established polymers with novel biodegradable entities with appropriate performance and cost is a significant challenge, requiring the ability to predict whether candidate molecules would be broken down by relevant environmental enzymes.  The key aim of this project is to use computational methods to understand the relationship between the enzymes responsible for biodegradation and polymer chemical and physical properties.  You will use this knowledge to optimise novel polymers as future replacements for current non-biodegradable materials, and undertake lab-based experiments in support of your theoretical predictions. 

You will be based in the University’s Centre for Enzyme Innovation (CEI), a global centre of excellence in the recycling of plastic waste.  The CEI boasts new custom-built laboratories with state-of-the-art facilities and a team of multidisciplinary specialist researchers to deliver world-class research and innovation.  This project is sponsored by Unilever, and you will collaborate with their key scientists in this field.  You will also spend time in their Laboratories at Port Sunlight, where you will work closely with the in-silico, materials and analytical chemistry experts based there.  This will enable you to transfer the modelling methods and protocols developed in this project from academia to industry.  During your placement period at Unilever, you will be based in the Modelling and Analytics Group and will receive additional training in relevant computational methodology, such as AI.

Entry Requirements

General admissions criteria

A good first degree from an internationally recognised university (minimum 2:1 or equivalent) or a Master’s in an appropriate subject.  In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Specific candidate requirements

You should have a strong background in biological and/or chemical sciences who can demonstrate a keen interest in computational modelling. 

How to Apply

We’d encourage you to contact Professor Paul Cox (paul.cox@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply.

When you are ready to apply, please click the 'Apply' button, above, quoting code PHBM9281124. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. 

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