PhD Studentship: Novel Biocide Development from Experiments and Computer Modelling

Application deadline: 28/11/2025
Research theme: Soft Matter and Biophysics

How to apply: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

This 3.5-year PhD is fully funded and open to applications from home students or EU students with settled status. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend based on the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase annually. Funding will also cover basic travel and lab expenses to comply with the new UoM's PhD project requirements. 

The start date is negotiable.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert will be removed once the position has been filled.

A highly attractive PhD studentship is available for application by end of November 2025 or as soon as the position is filled up, offering full fees, living expenses at the UKRI rates and travels and project costs for 3.5 years. Additional support to cover training and travels to collaborating partners (Arxada, ISIS Neutron Facility) is also available, through specific experimental arrangements during the PhD project.

This PhD is fully funded by the University of Manchester as part of their commitment to support a recently successful BBSRC-Arxada award, funded for 5 years, under the BBSRC Industry Prosperity Partnership (Round 2). By jointing the project, the prospective PhD student will have an exciting opportunity to work alongside 3 PDRAs with skills and research background in a range of fields relating to colloid and interface science, biointerfaces and biomaterials underlining the interactions of biocides with microbial and host membranes. 

The broad aim of the PhD research is to train the student with skills to investigate self-assemblies of lipids and biocides (cationic surfactants) and their cross-assembly processes, and identify how different membrane nanostructures could be correlated to antimicrobial efficacy and mildness or cytotoxicity. The project teams are developing new capabilities, highlighted by combining neutron reflection and scattering with computer modelling such as molecular dynamics simulations and AI-assisted data mining. The new technical capabilities will help bridge the current gap in biocide development, i.e., to link antimicrobial actions with membrane disruptions implicated by membrane nanostructures, thereby connecting leading academic challenges to biocide design and development in Arxada.

During the project, the prospective student will gain skills and experience in biocides, membrane biophysics, neutron scattering and data analysis and modelling and antimicrobial assays underpinning biomaterials research, with a focus on AI-assisted biocide design to link to their selective membrane targeting and cytotoxicity and a real-world check at Arxada labs based in north Manchester. Completion of some of these training tasks will open the student to challenging research and development opportunities in the employment market.

The student will join a vibrant, friendly and supportive research environment with exciting public engagement and outreach opportunities.

Applicants should, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours or higher degree at the master level (MPhys, MChem or international equivalent) in a relevant science, biology or engineering related discipline.

To apply, please contact the main supervisor: Prof Jian Lu - J.Lu@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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