Masters by Research projects are being offered within the Magnetic Materials Research Physics Laboratories at UCLan. These two projects will form the basis of further research investigating the hyperthermic action of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in tumour cell apoptosis.
Whilst this multidisciplinary work will be based primarily within the well-established Magnetic Materials Research Physics Laboratories, there will also be opportunities to collaborate with other research groups within the fields of Biomedicine and Chemistry.
Important Information
The new government postgraduate loan scheme (https://www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan/overview) can be used to cover the cost of postgraduate research tuition fees at UK/EU rates (£4,195 2017/18 rates) and bench fees (£1,000). If required and successfully secured, this means that the remainder of the full £10,000 loan (£4,805) may be taken and used to support maintenance costs. Applicants not eligible for the government loan may also apply but need to be able to self-fund all the associated project costs and their expenses. For international students this includes tuition fees above the UK/EU rate.
Candidates would be expected to hold a good Physics degree that has included an experimental final year project. Candidates with an appropriate physics-related or relevant Medical Engineering degree will also be considered.
For further information please contact Dr Shane OHehir: so-hehir@uclan.ac.uk (+44-(0)1772-893733)
Investigation of tumour cell apoptosis through superparamagnetic nanoparticle mediated hyperthermia
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) based hyperthermia is the process of locally heating tissue with magnetic nanoparticles using an external alternating magnetic field. This technique can be utilised in the in vivo targeted destruction of cancer cells.
Current in vitro investigations regarding cell death and magnetic nanoparticle meditated hyperthermia do not always differentiate between necrotic and apoptotic cell death mechanisms. The primary mode of action leading to apoptosis or necrosis may be a purely physical one, or one that involves an induced biological response.
This project will involve an investigation into the optimisation of nanoparticle heating effect. Nanoparticle heating will be applied to the investigation of apoptotic death rate of tumour cells. AC field exposure time, amplitude and MNP composition and concentration will be varied and corresponding cell assays will be performed.
Project Supervisor: Dr Shane OHehir (so-hehir@uclan.ac.uk)
Development of an in situ AC magnetometer for the measurement of time dependent hysteresis of nanoscale superparamagnetic particles.
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) based hyperthermia is the process of locally heating tissue with magnetic nanoparticles using an external alternating magnetic field. This technique can be utilised in the in vivo targeted destruction of cancer cells.
Characterisation of magnetic nanoparticles under AC field conditions has not been routinely measured and reported in the literature to date. This is a necessary parameter for the characterisation of the heating effect (SAR) of magnetic nanoparticles.
This project will involve the development of an in situ AC magnetometer for the measurement of time dependant hysteresis of nanoscale superparamagnetic particles. This novel approach will allow for measurements of magnetic properties under identical field conditions to those of a hyperthermia apparatus.
Project Supervisor: Dr Tim Mercer (TMercer1@uclan.ac.uk)
Superparamagnetic nanoparticles in tumour cell apoptosis.
Supervisor: Dr. Shane O’Hehir
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) based hyperthermia is the process of locally heating tissue with magnetic nanoparticles using an external alternating magnetic field. This technique can be utilised in the in vivo targeted destruction of cancer cells.
Current in vitro investigations regarding cell death and magnetic nanoparticle meditated hyperthermia do not always differentiate between necrotic and apoptotic cell death mechanisms. The primary mode of action leading to apoptosis or necrosis may be a purely physical one, or one that involves an induced biological response.
Characterisation of magnetic nanoparticles under AC field conditions has not been routinely measured and reported in the literature to date. This is a necessary parameter for the characterisation of the heating effect (SAR) of magnetic nanoparticles.
The first phase of this project will involve the development of an in situ AC magnetometer for the measurement of time dependant hysteresis of nanoscale superparamagnetic particles. This novel approach will allow for measurements of magnetic properties under identical field conditions to those of the hyperthermia apparatus. The resulting nanoparticle characterisations will be used in the second phase of this research to optimise nanoparticle heating effect. Nanoparticle heating will be applied to the investigation of apoptotic death rate of tumour cells. AC field exposure time, amplitude and MNP composition and concentration will be varied and corresponding cell assays will be performed.
Whilst this multidisciplinary work will be based primarily within the well-established Magnetic Materials Research Physics Laboratories, there will also be opportunities to collaborate with other research groups within the fields of Biomedicine and Chemistry.
Candidates would be expected to hold a good Physics degree that has included an experimental final year project. Candidates with an appropriate physics-related or relevant Medical Engineering degree that should ideally include measurement/instrumentation experience will also be considered.
For further information please contact Dr. Shane O’Hehir: so-hehir@uclan.ac.uk (+44-(0)1772-893733)
Location
The Jeremiah Horrocks Institute is located on UCLan's Preston campus, just five minutes north of the city centre. The Institute plays a leadership role in steering the University’s High-Performance Computational Science Facility, the centrepiece of which is a 512-node Sun HPC cluster. UCLan is a full partner in the UK's National Cosmology Supercomputer Consortium – COSMOS – and a partner in the Southern African Large Telescope, the largest aperture telescope in the southern hemisphere. We are also involved in current and future space missions such as Herschel, Kepler, GALEX, SPICA and Solar Dynamics Observatory.
In 2010's Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, UCLan was rated as having the best student experience of all universities in North West England, and also best of all the UK's modern universities.
Preston has numerous theatres, cinemas, pubs, clubs, and shops, and was
England's first wireless city. It is also one of the most cost-effective places to live in the country. In a recent survey of graduate satisfaction by the Royal Bank of Scotland, graduates gave Preston a 69% rating – fourth in the country and better than Liverpool, Edinburgh, Manchester or London! Just beyond the city lies the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and to the west are the seaside resorts of Blackpool, Lytham St Annes and Southport. Further afield the Lake District and Peak District National Parks are within an hour's drive, as are the other regional centres of Liverpool and Manchester.
Preston lies on the West Coast Main Line, and is only two hours from London by train.
Further information
For further information on the Institute see www.star.uclan.ac.uk
For Preston information, see www.visitpreston.com