About the project
Urological stents often suffer from encrustation and biofilm formation, causing infections and device failure. This project develops multilayer antimicrobial coatings and enhances a microfluidic test platform to simulate urinary conditions. The goal is rapid, pre-clinical evaluation of new stent coatings to prevent infection and accelerate clinical translation.
Urological devices such as stents and catheters are used to restore urinary drainage in patients with kidney stones, tumours, or strictures. However, encrustation and biofilm formation (E&B) are common complications, leading to urinary tract infections (UTIs) in over 90% of stents.
These infections contribute to stent blockage, antibiotic reliance, and resistance. Globally, over 92 million people are diagnosed with UTIs annually, with urological-device-associated infections imposing a £2.5 billion annual burden on the NHS. Despite advances in materials, coatings, and device designs, E&B and UTIs remain prevalent. Our team has developed a high-throughput microfluidic platform that mimics urinary tract flow to evaluate stent architectures and surface modifications.
Separately, we have demonstrated that multilayer coatings with tailored mechanical and swelling properties can resist biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
This PhD project aims to:
- Develop novel multilayer coatings to resist E&B.
- Extend our test platform to include in vitro biological testing of microbial interactions and crystallisation processes.
Coatings will be fabricated by depositing nanoscale layers with varied chemical compositions to achieve antimicrobial activity through bactericidal, anti-adhesive, and erodible mechanisms. Enhancing our microfluidic platform will enable rapid pre-clinical testing of coatings and device innovations, accelerating clinical and commercial translation.
The School of Engineering is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
