Applications are invited for a Research Associate/Fellow position to join an exciting research project focused on developing sustainable biocatalytic processes. The project will investigate the creation of novel wool-based supports for enzyme immobilisation and their application in the synthesis of high-value chemicals, including terpene esters and pharmaceutical intermediates. The successful candidate will design, prepare and characterise enzyme-support materials, evaluate their catalytic performance, and explore their use in a range of biotransformations. The role will also involve analysing reaction performance, interpreting experimental data, and contributing to publications and future funding opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity to work at the interface of materials science, chemistry, and biotechnology, contributing to the development of green manufacturing technologies.

About the Team

You will join a dynamic and interdisciplinary research group with expertise spanning biocatalysis, sustainable chemistry, reaction engineering and materials development. The team provides a collaborative and supportive environment that values innovation, diversity, and scientific excellence. The successful candidate will work closely with academic colleagues and research students and will have opportunities to contribute to mentoring and training activities within the group.

About You

Candidates should hold, or be close to obtaining, a PhD (or equivalent) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Materials Science, or a related discipline.

You should be able to demonstrate:

• Experience in laboratory-based research and experimental design.
• Knowledge of biocatalysis, enzyme immobilisation, or related areas.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with chemical or biochemical characterisation techniques.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

What We Offer

The University of Nottingham is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment where staff can thrive. We offer generous annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays and University closure days, including the Christmas and New Year period. Staff benefit from access to training and professional development opportunities, career progression support, and a wide range of health and wellbeing services. Additional benefits include staff discounts, travel schemes, fitness and recreational facilities, and participation in a vibrant international research community. We are proud to foster an environment where innovation, collaboration, and individual development are encouraged and valued.

What Next

This is a full-time position (36.25 hours per week) offered on a fixed-term contract for one year.

Further information is available in the role profile. To apply for this vacancy, please click ‘Apply Now’ and complete your application.

Closing Date: 05 Oct 2026
Category: Research and Teaching (R&T)

This exciting opportunity is based within the thriving Optics and Photonics Research Group in Faculty of Engineering which conducts cutting edge research spanning exploration to translation, with curiosity driven projects all the way through to application in the clinic.   

Vision

We are seeking PhD student that is motivated and enthusiastic and keen to push the boundaries of what is currently possible when imaging with an optical microscope. Combing the latest in optical developments with the recent surge in AI, this project aims image the centre of a live intact root for the first time. Something that is currently not possible.

Motivation 

This project will address a long-standing issue in plant biology: the inability to image the centre of live, intact, plant roots. The ability to observe dynamic cellular processes at the centre of a live root for the first time will unlock entirely new lines of biological inquiry, crucial for areas such as sustainable agriculture and food security. Such an imaging system would allow for studies of a plant’s resilience to drought, salinity, and water logging, as well as responses to fungal infections and nanoparticle uptake. It is very common that new optical microscopy techniques are developed to image mammalian tissue, and that these approaches are very slow to translate across to plant biosciences where the impact could be huge and as a result exciting opportunities get missed.  

When we use light to image deep into complex samples there is a common problem that occurs – the light gets distorted and scattered by the structures present in the sample and as a result a nice quality focus and hence a nice image cannot be produced at depth into the sample. At Nottingham we have been working on this problem for several years and have developed methods that shape the incoming light with the equal but opposite distortion to that imposed by the sample to produce a high-quality image deep into the sample of interest. Recently we have been using AI and machine learning to predict the distortion present and significantly speed up this correction process.

This PhD project will take the latest in AI-informed wavefront correction techniques and tailor them to imaging deep into plant roots. It will use a range of state-of-the-art optical microscopes based in the Optics and Photonics Research Group in the Faculty of Engineering, plus those housed in Plant Biosciences at the Sutton Bonnington campus. Data sets will be generated using simulated and experimental data and these will be used to train networks to predict the common distortions that occur when imaging into plant roots. From here we can either correct for these distortions using the hardware in the microscope or in software using reconstruction algorithms. This is an exciting multidisciplinary PhD project that promises to make cutting-edge advances in all research areas involved.

Aim

This project combines practical hands-on optics experimentation with training neural networks to develop the next generation of optical microscopes. You will have the opportunity gain skills in optical instrumentation and imaging, AI and machine learning, and in plant biology and sample handling.

Your base will be in the Optics and Photonics Group in the Faculty of Engineering and from here you will work with a team of academics and researchers across Engineering, Computer Science and the Biosciences.

You will be supervised by Amanda Wright (Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering), Mike Somekh (Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering), Mike Pound (Computer Vision, Computer Science Department), and Darren Wells (Plant and Crop Biophysics, School of Biosciences).

Who we are looking for

An enthusiastic, self-motivated, resourceful student, who likes working as part of a team and is keen to take on a new challenge. An understanding of optics and/or machine learning is desirable but not essential, along with general coding skills.

1^st or a 2:1 in a relevant field (for example Physics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or Biosciences).

Funding support

After a suitable candidate is found, funding is then sought from the University of Nottingham as part of a competitive process (this will cover home tuition fees and UKRI stipend)

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The Faculty of Engineering provides a thriving working environment for all PGRs creating a strong sense of community across research disciplines. Community and research culture is important to our PGRs and the FoE support this by working closely with our Postgraduate Research Society (PGES) and our PGR Research Group Reps to enhance the research environment for PGRs. PGRs benefit from training through the Researcher Academy’s Training Programme, those based within the Faculty of Engineering have access to bespoke courses developed for Engineering PGRs. including sessions on paper writing, networking and career development after the PhD. The Faculty has outstanding facilities and works in partnership with leading industrial partners. 

Please contact Amanda Wright with your CV and supporting statement to apply for this project – amanda.wright@nottingham.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 02 Feb 2026
Category: Studentships