Health and food

Research areas

Our research interests are split into three main areas:

Engineering and validation of biomaterials

Our researchers are designing novel materials and structures to recapitulate features of healthy or diseased human tissue, e.g., cancer, bone (Velliou, Carta, Roth). We also use materials to design novel wearable sensors (Crean) as well as for encapsulating drugs and active molecules for targeted drug delivery (Whelligan, Roth, Howlin, Sacchi, Liu, Chen, Cai). Our multidisciplinary research in this area enables the delivery of low-cost animal free technologies for drug and disease screening, therefore accelerating their delivery from bench to bed.

Development of novel analytical tools for healthcare

Our researchers (Bailey, Crean, Felipe-Sotelo, Al-Sid Cheikh, de Jesus, Costa, Lewis) are working with academia and industry internationally to pioneer new approaches in the analysis of tissues, cells and biological fluids.

This includes high spatial resolution imaging and depth profiling of molecular and elemental components in cells and tissues, non- invasive sampling strategies for therapeutic drug monitoring and diagnostics and point of care sensor technologies. We have unique tools for analysis of biological samples, including the EPSRC-funded National Ion Beam Centre for trace element imaging, Nano-extraction Facility for single cell and tissue analysis and Raman Spectroscopy as well as a NERC-funded facility for Laser induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. 

Food characterisation and processing

Our researchers (Felipe-Sotelo, Sears, Ward, Short, Lian, Chen) are developing cutting edge analytical and modelling approaches to characterise foods and optimise their processing. Furthermore, we are working closely with industry on designing novel emerging sustainable decontamination approaches (Velliou, Bussemaker) for achieving food safety and for mapping and controlling the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of food related pathogens from farm to fork.