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This post is a key part of an interdisciplinary collaboration that will develop a new generation of super-hard antimicrobial coatings for medical devices, common touch surfaces in hospitals and diverse other applications. Diverse strategies are needed to combat pathogenic microorganisms, especially ones that are independent of antibiotics, in the face of the antibiotic resistance crisis.

You will work as a key part of a team of microbiologists, materials scientists and physicist across Sheffield Hallam University, Imperial College London and six commercial collaborators. You will characterise the antimicrobial activity of a new generation of superhard antimicrobial coatings that are being developed for use on medical devices and numerous other applications. These are the first coatings to combine superhardness with microstructural bacterial killing and photoactivated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the plasmonic effect.

Your work will include antimicrobial tests with a range of pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses), physiological studies of the effect of the coatings on the microorganisms, electron microscopy and RNA seq. The resulting detailed understanding of the antimicrobial activity and mode of action of the coatings at the cellular and molecular level will enable you to inform development of the composition of the coatings to maximise their effectiveness. Together with input from the commercial partners, this information will then able the team to develop the unique materials and establish routes for commercial manufacturing as robust and novel biomimetic surfaces combining biophotonic functionality and nano-structured morphology to kill pathogens through a combined photocatalytic and micromechanical action.

The BMRC has a lively and supportive research environment with more than 40 researchers, including students on PhD programmes and postdocs. Staff in the BMRC has an established record of obtaining external funding from research councils, charities and industry. We have pioneered research at the interface of the biological and physical sciences, with particular emphasis on the development of antimicrobial materials. In REF2021 49% of our research outputs were judged internationally excellent or world-leading. We have a strong and diverse network of collaborators encompassing academics, senior clinicians and industry around the UK and internationally. Staff and postgraduate students present their research findings at national and international conferences.

The National HIPIMS Research Centre within the Industry and Innovation Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University is a world-leading centre that pioneered the up-scaling of High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) technology for production of ultrathin superhard coatings. Research by the National HIPIMS Technology Centre at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) has driven innovation and created value across the supply chain, achieving market-leading performance for applications in consumer electronics, manufacturing, and biomedical implants.

Our facilities include the Sheffield Multimodal Imaging Centre with a unique suite of imaging facilities ideally suited to applications at the interface of biology and materials science, including fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy and mass spectrometry imaging.

You can find out more about the BMRC, the Materials and Engineering Research Institute and the College of Health Wellbeing and Life Sciences by following the links to our web pages.

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international applicants in this role; this will depend on a number of factors specific to the individual applicant.

We offer a diverse range of benefits and opportunities to pursue a rewarding and fulfilling career in a supportive environment. To find out more, please visit The Hallam Deal: Your Benefits.

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