Engineering Nitric Oxide Delivery Platforms for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Infections
- Funding
- Self-funded
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Start date
- Subject area
- Engineering
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This project develops nitric-oxide-releasing polymer platforms to tackle drug-resistant infections. The student will design electrospun and 3D-printed materials that deliver controlled NO doses directly to infection sites and test their antimicrobial performance against clinically relevant pathogens. The work combines biomaterials engineering, polymer chemistry, and microbiology to create next-generation non-antibiotic therapies.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes more than 1.2 million deaths each year and places severe pressure on healthcare systems. Without new treatments, AMR could lead to 10 million deaths annually and a global economic burden of 100 trillion dollars by 2050. These figures highlight the urgent need for alternatives to conventional antibiotics, which are increasingly ineffective as bacteria rapidly evolve resistance.
This challenge is intensified by the prevalence of biofilms, which occur in over 80 percent of bacterial infections. Biofilms are structured microbial communities surrounded by a protective matrix that shields bacteria from the immune system and severely limits antibiotic penetration. Within these environments, bacteria adopt altered metabolic states and show dramatically increased tolerance to antimicrobials. Biofilm-associated bacteria can require up to 1,000 times higher antibiotic doses for inhibition, rendering many standard therapies ineffective. Together, multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and persistent biofilms create a major barrier to current antimicrobial strategies and highlight the need for innovative therapies with new mechanisms of action.
Nitric oxide (NO) offers a promising solution. It has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antibiofilm activity and acts through mechanisms fundamentally different from traditional antibiotics, making it a strong candidate for treating MDR infections. Our laboratory has already developed several NO-releasing biomaterial platforms, providing a strong foundation for the next stage of development.
This PhD project will advance the therapeutic use of NO by creating polymer-based delivery platforms engineered to release controlled levels of NO directly at sites of infection. Working at the interface of polymer chemistry, biomaterials engineering, and microbiology, the student will design and fabricate electrospun and 3D-printed NO-releasing scaffolds optimised for antimicrobial performance.
The project will provide hands-on experience in synthesising NO-donor functional polymers and processing them into nanofibrous and architected 3D structures. A broad suite of characterisation methods, including spectroscopy, rheology, thermal analysis, and mechanical testing, will be used to study material properties and release behaviour. Antibacterial and antibiofilm activity will be assessed using in vitro assays with clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. As the project progresses, more advanced biological models may be used to explore therapeutic potential under physiologically relevant conditions.
This studentship offers a dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment and the opportunity to contribute to innovative, non-antibiotic antimicrobial technologies with real translational potential. The skills gained will span materials science, nanotechnology, drug delivery, and infection biology, providing an excellent foundation for future careers in academia or industry.
Candidates will have, or be due to obtain, a Master’s Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Exceptional candidates with a First Class Bachelor’s Degree in an appropriate field or significant relevant experience will also be considered.
Candidates wishing to apply should complete the University of Liverpool application form to apply for a PhD in Materials Engineering
Please review our guide on How to apply for a PhD | Postgraduate research | University of Liverpool carefully and complete the online postgraduate research application form to apply for this PhD project.
Please ensure you include the project title when applying.
| Supervisors | Email address |
| Prof Raechelle D’Sa | r.dsa@liverpool.ac.uk |
| Dr. Jenny Hanson | Zippy78@liverpool.ac.uk |
You may need the following documents to complete your online application:
Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
If you’re a UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Republic of Ireland student, tuition fees for academic year 2025/26 are:
If you’re an international student, tuition fees for academic year 2026/27 are:
Please note, the tuition fee you pay will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others, for example if you’re required to undertake laboratory work. You’ll be informed of the fee for your intended PhD in your offer letter.
The UK fees stated are for academic year 2025/26 and may be subject to change for academic year 2026/27. The international fees stated are for academic year 2026/27 and may be subject to change for academic year 2027/28. The University may administer inflationary rises to international fees in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.
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Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this project, as well as general student living costs.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.
There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.
We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.
If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £23,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.
If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).
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