Student Projects
Interdisciplinarity
Nanoscience in general, and Nanomaterials in particular, are highly interdisciplinary fields. While all having a broad theme in the area of Functional Nanomaterials, research projects may be built on the foundations of fundamental chemistry, physics or mathematics, draw on techniques from the applied physical sciences, life sciences or engineering for their implementation and focus on ultimate applications in any of these fields, and more.
In the BCFN we recruit students with a wide range of backgrounds and aim to instil an interdisciplinary outlook from the very beginning of the research training experience. As part of this ethos, we accept project proposals from across the faculties of Science, Life Sciences and Engineering while being designed with interdisciplinarity in mind: all our projects are required to have at least two supervising academics with different disciplinary backgrounds.
Student projects: Thematic Exploratory Training Assignments
During the first six months after entering either the BCFN MSc or PhD programmes, all students will carry out two Thematic Exploratory Training Assignment (THETA) projects. Working in groups of two or three, students pursue these interdisciplinary projects part time, in parallel with the BCFN taught programme. While addressing questions of genuine research interest, these projects have an explicit focus on training and are intended to allow the students to acquire important skills and expertise. Students are encouraged to choose projects that will develop their experience into areas they may have been previously unfamiliar with. While this approach can involve a steep learning curve, it allows students to become adept at learning from, and interacting with, experts in different fields in order to achieve their interdisciplinary goals.
THETA projects are aligned to one of several interdisciplinary themes. Currently these are:
- Functional Nanomaterials for Energy and The Environment
- Functional Nanomaterials for Technology and Innovation
- Mesoscopic Materials and Devices
- Functional Nanomaterials for Health and the Life Sciences
While THETA projects are running, regular theme meetings allow all students working on projects in a common theme to update each other on their progress and offer input and suggestions to projects that have thematic overlap with their own.
The following THETA projects will run in 2019-20.
| Project Title | Theme(s) | Supervisors’ Academic Departments |
|---|---|---|
| Low work function diamond surfaces for thermionic energy conversion and diamond batteries | Materials for Energy and the Environment |
Neil Fox (Physics & Chemistry) Mattia Cattelan (Chemistry) |
|
Tuneable plasmonic materials for optical sensing |
Materials for Health & Life Sciences |
Andrei Sarua (Physics) Natasa Vasiljevic (Physics) |
| A bacterial health check - detecting activity through nanoscale fluctuations | Materials for Health & Life Sciences |
Massimo Antognozzi (Physics) Darryl Hill (Cellular and Molecular Medicine) |
| Design and implementation of a multi-electrode array with microfluidic interration for brain-on-chip feedback control experiments | Materials for Health & Life Sciences |
Lucia Marucci (Engineering Maths) Ludovic Renson (Engineering Maths) |
| 3D Printing of Smart, Green and Adaptive Materials | Materials for Innovation & Technology |
Steve Eichhorn (Aerospace Engineering) Annela Seddon (Physics) |
| Reinventing the Wheel: NanoMachines Powered by Active Matter | Materials for Innovation & Technology |
Paddy Royall (Physics & Chemistry) Tanniemola Liverpool (Mathematics) |
| Super-Resolution Imaging of Proteins: Aggregation, Crystallisation and New Materials | Mesoscopic Materials and Devices |
Paddy Royall (Physics & Chemistry) Ross Anderson (Biochemistry) |
Prior to this the following THETA projects ran in 2018-19.
| Project Title | Theme(s) | Supervisors’ Academic Departments |
|---|---|---|
| Transition Metal Oxides Nanostructures for Solar Energy Conversion and Solar Fuels | Materials for Energy: generation, conversion & storage |
David Fermin (Chemistry) Neil Fox (Physics and Chemistry) |
|
Low work function diamond surfaces for thermionic energy conversion and diamond batteries |
Materials for Energy: generation, conversion & storage |
Neil Fox (Physics & Chemistry) Mattia Cattelan (Chemistry)
|
|
Tuning Mechanical Properties of Model Biological Systems: Jaw Development in Zebrafish Larvae |
Materials for Health & Life Sciences |
Paddy Royall (Physics & Chemistry) Chrissy Hammond (Physiology & Pharmacology) |
|
A bacterial health check - detecting activity through nanoscale fluctuations |
Materials for Health & Life Sciences |
Massimo Antognozzi (Physics) Matthew Avison (Cellular and Molecular Medicine) |
|
Reinventing the Wheel: NanoMachines Powered by Active Matter |
Materials for Innovation & Technology |
Paddy Royall (Physics & Chemistry) Tanniemola Liverpool (Mathematics) |
|
Reversible exfoliation and intercalation for novel graphite/graphene artificial muscles |
Materials for Innovation & Technology |
Carl Faul (Chemistry) Jonathan Rossiter (Engineering Maths) |
|
Mechanics of 3D Printed Nano-Catalyst Laden Materials for Soft Robotics |
Materials for Innovation & Technology |
Michael Dicker (Aerospace Engineering) Carl Faul (Chemistry) |