PhD Studentship â Development of a Novel Microscope Platform based on Planar-illumination and Non-linear Techniques for Biomedical Applications (974818EB)

PhD Supervisor: Prof. Sumeet Mahajan                               

co supervisor: Prof. Ying Cheong, Dr Simon Lane

Application Deadline: Rolling deadline as soon as a suitable candidate is found

Interviews will be held: on a rolling basis as applications are received

PhD Description:  

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been used for almost 40 years but it remains an inefficient procedure (only ~26% success rate) and is expensive. Among the most common causes of failure are the embryos having the wrong number of chromosomes (DNA material) and embryos that that are not metabolising at the correct rate - this is difficult to determine without destroying/damaging them. To improve screening and diagnosis of incompetent eggs/embryos the technology has to be non-invasive, label-free and non-destructive but at the same time should provide objective information. Current methods mostly rely on imaging morphology alone, which in itself is an insufficient marker of the health of the developing embryo. Hence the overarching goal of this project is to address this clinical need. The aim is to develop a much better, faster and healthier optical imaging tool for an embryologist to peer inside the embryo and have a wealth of information available to them so that only the most competent eggs are selected and embryos transferred to the patient and as early as possible. This will greatly increase the chances of success and reduce the suffering and financial difficulties of repeated failures to conceive that are currently experienced by IVF patients. 

During this project chemical imaging techniques such as coherent Raman microscopy (CRM) and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) will be developed and utilised for evaluation of samples. In this project these techniques will be implemented in planar-illumination (light sheet) geometry to achieve parallelisation and to minimise exposure. Use of near-infrared light will further reduce photodamage although the trade-off with signal to noise will need to be explored. The emphasis of this project is to research novel planar-illumination microscopy configurations and their various aspects for implementing these optical techniques to enable a faster and more informative readout to evaluate embryo health. Machine learning approaches additionally will be developed to potentiate the capability of the developed microscopic methods for rapid screening of eggs, sperm and embryos.

This interdisciplinary project is in collaboration with an industrial partner developing biophotonic technology platforms and an IVF clinic. The project is funded for 3 years, with a possibility of extension to 3.5 years, and welcomes applicants from the UK and EU who have or expect to obtain a First or at least an upper second class degree in Physical Chemistry or Physics or Engineering or allied subjects/relevant disciplines. A keen interest in pushing boundaries in science and technology and some experience in optics or optical measurements or spectroscopy or microscopy/imaging is desirable. The project is interdisciplinary and will suit a highly motivated individual who would enjoy working within multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic environment. Funding will cover fees and a stipend at current research council rates (201718 and subject to increase in 201819) of £ 14,553 per annum. 

Due to funding restrictions this position is only open to UK/EU applicants

Applications for a PhD in Chemistry should be submitted online at https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Search

Please ensure you select the academic session 2018-2019 in the academic year field and click on the Research radio button.  Enter Chemistry in the search text field.

Please place Prof. Sumeet Mahajan in the field for proposed supervisor/project

General enquiries should be made Prof. Sumeet Mahajan at s.mahajan@soton.ac.uk.  Any queries on the application process should be made to pgafnes@soton.ac.uk

Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, and the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified

Closing Date: 31 Aug 2018
Post Type: PhD Studentship (Funded)