Impact of Microplastic and Nanoplastic adsorption on membrane fluidity, permeability and aging

Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence

This studentship is supported by the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence. AIME is a unique, interdisciplinary, intersectoral research and training hub for translational membrane science. AIME is a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel membranes for use in applications as varied as drug discovery and water purification. The team behind AIME believes that the full potential of membranes will only be realised by a research team spanning biology, physics and chemistry that can investigate membranes holistically. No other institute has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs in this area. The vision is for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through access to its facilities and expertise, ideally located in the heart of the UK.

Details of the Project

Background

Plastic production is one of the core global industries, with plastics entering every major market. However, the durability that makes these materials so useful contributes to long-term irreversible micro and nanoplastic pollution. Currently, global plastic use generates 350 million tons of waste per annum, and is predicted to rise to 1 billion tons by 2060 if social, commercial and industrial habits continue unchanged [1]. Despite significant progress being made in the areas of circular economy and plastics upcycling [2], there is limited understanding of how progressive degradation products, micro and nanoplastics, interact with biological systems. For example, how the integrity and morphology of biomembranes is influenced by nano/microplastic interaction. Individual polymer particles have been studied on a case-by-case basis [3,4], however there remains a limited overall understanding of how these micro and nanoplastics interact with and influence membrane function and mechanics. In this project, micro and nano plastics of difference size, shape and chemistry will be introduced to lipid bilayer membranes. The adsorption and affinity of particles to lipid membranes will be studied as well as the local mechanical, rheological and structural changes to the membranes as a result of micro and nanoplastic adsorption. Additionally, the influence of micro and nanoplastics on cell functions such as metabolism, migration and water homeostasis regulation pathways such as by aquaporins, will be studied. The resulting findings will be used to identify which common plastics degrade into the most physically destructive micro and nanoplastics, and this data will be used to inform future polymer manufacture and commercialisation policy via an open access library of microplastic impact.

Objectives

In this project, a combination of microfluidics droplet generation and mass photometry will be used to investigate polymer and colloidal interactions with lipid bilayers, with the aim of address 3 key objectives:

1.            Characterise the behaviour of the degradation products of common plastics at lipid bilayer interfaces, with emphasis on mechanical deformations and membrane rheology.

2.            Investigate how adsorbed micro and nanoplastics impact cell regulation pathways and locomotion.

3.            Implement an open-access library for microplastic data related to common plastics, to be used by the consumer products and chemical manufacture industries.

[1] OECD, Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2022,

[2] C. Jehanno et. al. Nature, 2022, 603, 803-814

[3] J. Fleury et. al., PNAS, 2021, 118, e2104610118

[4] A. Ramsperger et. al. Sci. Adv., 2020, 6, eabd1211

Person Specification

The successful applicant should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a 60% or higher weighted average, and/or a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution) in a relevant subject. Previous experience in membrane protein or lipid biochemistry would be desirable.

This project aims to characterise the behaviour of micro and nanoplastics at lipid bilayers with the long-term goal of informing smarter polymer design and screening methods. This project will involve working across synthetic polymer and colloidal chemistry, biological interfacial science, soft matter physics and microscopy technique.

The ideal candidate will have been awarded, or be due to be awarded, a Masters degree or equivalent and a First/Upper Second class honours degree in chemistry, biology, physics or engineering background. Experience working in a wet-lab environment is essential. It would be advantageous for the candidate to have experience in microscopy and image analysis of microscopy data, however the candidate will be trained so that they leave the program as a comprehensively interdisciplinary scientist. Applicants from minority backgrounds and Women in STEM are particularly encouraged to apply. 

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact Samuel Wilson-Whitford at [email protected]

Submitting an application

 We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected. Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience. 
4. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
5. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
6. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

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Please select “Research – Engineering Systems” from the application form options.

 If you require further information about the application process, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at [email protected]