Studentships for October 2026 entry

Title

Transparent 3D-printed soil: biophysics and metabolomics of root-soil interactions

This project is sponsored by Syngenta 

Supervisors

• Dr Giovanni Sena, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial
• Dr Iain Dunlop, Department of Materials, Imperial
• Dr Gerald Larrouy-Maumus, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial
• Dr Mark Johnston, Syngenta
• Dr Giovambattista Depietra, Syngenta
• Dr Ali Mohammed, School of Design, Royal College of Art & School of Design Engineering, Imperial

Abstract

Understanding how soil structure influences plant growth and metabolism at the molecular level is fundamental to agricultural science, yet root systems remain inaccessible to quantitative study in natural soil due to optical opacity and environmental heterogeneity. This project develops transparent, 3D-printed hydrogel substrates that replicate authentic soil pore architecture, enabling direct imaging of root system development coupled with metabolomic profiling under controlled conditions.

Using X-ray micro-computed tomography to characterise real soils under different management practices, this project will translate volumetric data into printable CAD models and fabricate biocompatible substrates via stereolithography. The platform enables systematic investigation of how soil physical structure affects root architecture and metabolite exudation—measurements currently impossible in natural soil or structurally unrealistic transparent substitutes.

The MRes phase establishes the imaging-to-printing pipeline using Arabidopsis; the PhD extends to crop species (wheat, tomato) and agricultural challenges, including chemical treatments, biotic interactions, and abiotic stress.

The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Syngenta, integrating X-ray imaging, additive manufacturing, plant biology, and metabolomics, with Syngenta providing agricultural R&D context and imaging expertise.

Keywords: Controlled-environment agriculture; Soil model; X-ray micro-computed tomography; 3D-printed hydrogel; Root imaging; Root system architecture; Plant metabolomics 

Eligibility

This project is only open to applicants with Home fee status.  For further information, please review our Eligibility criteria and How to apply.

Deadline

Thursday 21st May 2026, 5pm.

This studentship opportunity was released on 22nd April 2026

Title

Engineering Carbon Capture Synthetic Cells via Closed-loop Discovery

This project is funded by the EPSRC CDT in Chemical Biology

Supervisors

• Professor Laura Barter, Department of Chemistry, Imperial
• Dr James Hindley, Kings College London
• Professor Oscar Ces, Department of Chemistry, Imperial
• Professor Nicholas Long, Department of Chemistry, Imperial

Abstract

Limiting the global, systemic impacts of climate change will require a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse gas (primarily CO2) emissions, as well as creating routes to capture existing atmospheric CO2 through biomass and novel carbon capture systems. Whilst there has been significant progress in the use of chemical approaches for CO2 capture, there is an absence of bioinspired, sustainable and biocompatible technologies. We will address this in this studentship by engineering synthetic cells - biomimetic entities constructed from non-living and living components to create molecular assemblies with life-like behaviours – with the ability to capture and transport fixed CO2 for the first time. Such technologies could be readily integrated with biomass cultivation (e.g., algae), producing feedstocks in situ which can in turn be converted to biofuels and valuable chemicals by the algal culture.

Here, inspired by the CO2-uptake mechanisms employed in photosynthesis and in red blood cells, we propose to develop synthetic cell carbon capture devices that can (a) chemically fix CO2 within the synthetic cell and (b) export it into the external environment via protein transporters, generating a driving force for continuous carbon capture from CO2 in solution. To rapidly engineer such technologies, we will develop high-throughput methodologies for carbon fixation mimetics involving synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry.  In addition, we will employ closed-loop synthetic cell engineering, develop automated approaches to both construct and characterize synthetic cells in high-throughput and pair this with machine learning approaches to design synthetic cells with highly efficient carbon capture functionality. 

The successful PhD candidate will work on a highly multi-disciplinary project, with the student being trained in a wide range of techniques including chemical synthesis, membrane protein expression, synthetic cell engineering, lab automation, and machine learning - working across world-leading laboratories at both Imperial and King’s College London throughout the project. We envisage that this studentship will generate both fundamental and translational impact, ultimately leading to new carbon capture biotechnologies that contribute to a net zero future.

Eligibility

This project is only open to applicants with Home fee status. For further information, please review our and .

Deadline

Monday 27th April 2026, 5pm.

This studentship was re-listed on 1 April 2026.

Title

Expanding the structural diversity of cyclic peptide libraries with encoded chemistry

This project is co-sponsored by the EPSRC CDT in Chemical Biology and Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Supervisors

• Dr Louise Walport, Department of Chemistry, Imperial
• Professor James Bull, Department of Chemistry, Imperial
• Dr Michael Wright, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Abstract

In the quest to drug every disease-relevant protein in the human proteome, cyclic peptides are a powerful modality with the capacity to bind to proteins traditionally thought to be undruggable, such as those involved in protein protein interactions and transcription factors. To facilitate their discovery, powerful encoded library discovery platforms, such as mRNA display, have been developed that can be used to identify hits from trillions of different sequences. 

To expand the application of peptides even further, many approaches are now being developed to encode chemistries beyond the 20 naturally occurring amino acids into peptide libraries, including through genetic code reprogramming, enzymatic transformations and synthetic manipulations. As an alternative, in this exciting industry collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, we will expand on a recently developed strategy to encode new chemistries into peptide libraries with DNA to create topologically diverse cyclic peptide libraries. You will apply your new libraries to generate chemical probes for a range of therapeutically relevant proteins. You will have the opportunity to learn a wide range of cutting-edge chemical biology approaches including mRNA display of cyclic peptides and DNA templated synthesis and will use a wide range of biophysical, biochemical and cell-based assays to characterise your hit peptides.

Eligibility

This project is only open to applicants with Home fee status. For further information, please review our and .

Deadline

Monday 27th April 2026, 5pm.

This studentship was re-listed on 1 April 2026.