Sheffield Hallam University
Deadline: 13th May 25
About the Project
The Industry and Innovation Research Institute (I2Ri) draws on talents, expertise and facilities across Sheffield Hallam University. The vision is to be the leading provider of applied research excellence delivering materials, computing, science and engineering innovations meeting the development needs of industry.
This project is part of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship scheme, in which the successful applicant will undertake certain teaching duties associated with the student experience, in addition to working towards a PhD qualification. They will contribute up to 180 hours of support for research or teaching related activity per academic year. This activity forms part of the scholarship and there is no additional payment.
PhD Research Topic
Bowel cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide (CRUK statistics), mainly because many patients are diagnosed in later stages of disease where response to treatment is poor – only 10% of patients with advanced disease survive for 5 years. This demonstrates an urgent unmet need for better treatments.
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are tiny, membrane-enclosed particles that transfer biological cargo between cells. When released from cancer cells, they can travel through the body contributing to disease spread [1]. Because they are natural delivery vehicles keeping active cargo stable until delivery and can be targeted to disease sites, groups including ours have studied their use for delivery of chemotherapeutics [2]. In this project, we will isolate EVs from biological sources including patients with bowel cancer using methods established by Dr Nick Peake, and load them with novel gold-based chemotherapy agents developed by Dr Alice Johnson here at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU).
How EVs interact with tissues is currently poorly understood. To leverage the potential for EV-based drug delivery, we aim to unravel mechanisms that determine the tissue retention, penetration or diffusion of EVs. We will assess whether sugars influence these tissue dynamics, building up to a strategy of glyco-engineering to maximise drug delivery into bowel cancer tissues using methods established by Dr Alexandra Males, alongside our partners Perkin-Elmer who will provide industrial support for mass spectrometry imaging of gold-based agents and Dr Jason Webber at Swansea University who has established methods for glycan characterisation.
You will undertake an exciting, novel project, supported by multi-disciplinary expertise within a vibrant PhD student community in the Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre (BMRC) at SHU (https://www.shu.ac.uk/biomolecular-sciences-research-centre), with the opportunity to establish industrial links and academic collaborations within the UK EV community. You will develop skills in cancer biology and human tissue models, drug synthesis and delivery, extracellular vesicle biology, glycan characterisation and glycoengineering using Cas9/CRISPR methods, and analytical methodologies including Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) housed in our world-class Centre for Mass Spectrometry Imaging (https://www.shu.ac.uk/biomolecular-sciences-research-centre/research-groups/centre-for-mass-spectrometry-imaging).
The BMRC fosters a positive research community. Successful applicants will join a community of PGR students, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, and professional services staff who are committed to supporting each other, sharing knowledge, and collaborating to advance research in the field.
The BMRC is also committed to helping PhD students improve their skills. Throughout their research, students will have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, gaining a wide range of transferable skills such as communication, presentation, entrepreneurship, leadership, and will be given the chance to present their work at national and international conferences. Additionally, all students will have access to teaching and outreach opportunities.
To apply for this GTA scholarship, please use our online application form. Application deadline: 13 May 2025