University of Surrey – Confidence in Concept 2019

Lead Research Organisation: University of Surrey
Department Name: UNLISTED

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Technical Summary

The Confidence in Concept (CIC) scheme is a key part of MRC’s translational research strategy and provides annual awards to institutions to flexibly support a portfolio of early stage translational research projects. CIC is designed to accelerate the transition from discovery research to viable translational projects by supporting preliminary studies to establish proof-of-concept so that the approach will then become competitive for more substantial translational funding.

People

ORCID iD

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description Parliamentary engagement during the pandemic
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
Impact Through the work I did with my BSI colleagues the BSI became known as a source of sound scientific advice during the pandemic. We have corresponded with the CMOs office in private as well as publicaly and the CMO has quoted our input on national briefings.
 
Description "Multifunctional antibacterial phosphate-based glass nanofibres for wound healing"
Amount £4,000 (GBP)
Funding ID R21-7668912428 
Organisation Royal Society of Chemistry 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2022 
End 10/2023
 
Description A novel, antibiotics free and prophylactic topical in-wound applied formulation for combating biofilms and improving orthopaedic surgical wound healing (BioBride)
Amount £118,000 (GBP)
Funding ID CTP_2022_-0000000007 
Organisation National Biofilms Innovation Centre 
Sector Private
Start 12/2023 
End 11/2027
 
Description EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership DTP-UKRI: PhD studentship: Synthesis and characterisation of mesoporous phosphate-based glasses for biomedical applications
Amount £80,000 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2022 
End 10/2026
 
Description EPSRC Industrial CASE (ICASE) "Effect of mechanical properties and surface nanostructure on phosphate-based coacervates biomedical performance"
Amount £117,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 220023 ICase voucher 
Organisation United Kingdom Research and Innovation 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2022 
End 04/2027
 
Description Establishing a network to catalyse collaboration for reducing immune ageing (CARINA: CAtalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing)
Amount £201,993 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W018225/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 02/2024
 
Description IAA Capital Award 2023 Smart Porous Phosphate Scaffolds as controlled delivery systems for wound healing and skin regeneration
Amount £27,500 (GBP)
Funding ID IAA Capital Award 2023 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
 
Description Impact Acceleration Account Smart Porous Phosphate Scaffolds as controlled delivery systems for wound healing and skin regeneration
Amount £127,322 (GBP)
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2022 
End 05/2023
 
Description Molecular mapping of SARS-CoV2 and the host response with multiomics mass spectrometry to stratify disease outcomes
Amount £1,736,024 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/V011456/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2020 
End 04/2022
 
Description PhD studentship UK
Amount £60,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Surrey 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2022 
End 09/2025
 
Description University of Surrey - Confidence in Concept 2019
Amount £194,220 (GBP)
Funding ID MC_PC_19052 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 03/2023
 
Title Electrospinning of coacervate fibres 
Description We have pioneer the electrospinning of water based, coacervate gels. No organic solvents or cross linkers need to be used. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Environmental: no organic solvent used. Synthesis of coacervate is affordable and green 
 
Title Production of porous phosphate glass fibers for controlled drug delivery 
Description We are using surfactant to manufacture porous phosphate glass fibers and glasses. The method has been filed for IP protection in January 2023 (CHP/124682GB1). 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Controlled drug delivery increase surface area higher bioactivity 
 
Description HYMS_Wound healing 
Organisation Hull York Medical School
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We are providing fibers scaffolds for wound healing dressings. Expertise in fibres fabrication
Collaborator Contribution Access to medical school facilities, expertise in wound healing, provide contact with clinicians and medical stakeholders
Impact Outcome from collaboration are in progress
Start Year 2020
 
Description Hull York Medical School 
Organisation Hull York Medical School
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We are in charge of design and optimisation of samples tested at the Hull York medical School for their properties in wound healing.
Collaborator Contribution HYMS has performed advanced and targeted testing of our materials for wound healing applications. In particular, in vitro cytocompatibility, scratch tests and ex vivo studies on a variety of compositions
Impact The collaboration is truly multi disciplinary bringing together an interdisciplinary team of chemists, bioscientists, and clinicians. We have just submitted me as a PI and members of HYMS as Co-I a 1.2m EPSRC grant for the Healthcare technologies: investigator-led research project grant scheme entitled "WEAVE: Wound healing via Electrospun coacerVatE phosphate glass fibres"
Start Year 2020
 
Description Small Angle X-ray scattering of porous phosphate glasses 
Organisation BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Country Germany 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We have provided sol-gel and coacervate porous phosphate-based glasses for advanced characterisation using SAXS. Samples were used to test the new beamline and new settings at BAM
Collaborator Contribution The collaborator (Dr Glen Smales) has carried out several small angle cutting edge experiments on glasses doped with Ce, Ga, Ag, Cu, Zn in different concentrations. He has also tested the effect of the surfactant on the porosity. He has also performed all characterisation and fitting and prepared graphs for manuscipts.
Impact Multidisciplinary Physics-chemistry 5 manuscripts are under preparation with SAXS data. One on Cu-doepd mesoporous phosphate glasses will be submitted this week
Start Year 2021
 
Description Surrey COVID-19 Consortium 
Organisation University of Surrey
Department Department of Chemistry
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We were PI, banked biological samples from COVID-19 patients throughout 2020 and 2021 and co-ordinated sample sharing between interested parties in this time, including companies developing rapid tests, academics looking for biomarkers and immunologists studying immune responses.
Collaborator Contribution Hospital clinical and research staff and students in chemistry dept contributed to sample collection from patients
Impact Samples were used by the UK Mass Spectrometry coalition (funded by BBSRC) Disciplines are immunology, emergency medicine, chemistry Samples were used by other immunologists in their research feeding into public health information (eg neutralisation ability of serum from earlier variants against omicron) Attracted funding from National Core Studies on rapid methods to detect cellular immunity
Start Year 2020
 
Description Surrey Cancer Research Institute 
Organisation University of Surrey
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We are responsible for generating the data demonstrating the in vitro efficacy of our novel cancer immunotherapy.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners provide us with the tumour cell lines on which we test our novel cancer immunotherapy.
Impact This is an inter-disciplinary collaboration between molecular infectious disease biologists and clinical cancer biologists.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Li sensor 
Organisation Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Electrode development and optimisation. We are developing a sensor for point of care drug analysis that could be useful for clinicians and patients.
Collaborator Contribution They are helping us with access to patient samples and getting ethical approval for the study.
Impact No outputs just yet, we have recently received ethical approval and are beginning patient recruitment.
Start Year 2021
 
Title porous phosphate fibers 
Description novel method for manufacturing porous phosphate fibers using template technique with enhanced bioactive properties 
IP Reference CHP/124682GB1 
Protection Patent / Patent application
Year Protection Granted 2023
Licensed No
Impact Porous phosphate glass fibres have been filed for IP protection in January 2023 (CHP/124682GB1). With the help of the technology transfer office a flyer has been produced to distribute to potential industrial partners
 
Description Attendance to the RSC Chemical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Network Annual Symposium London 26-27th January 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Attendance to the RSC Chemical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Network Annual Symposium. Poster presentation of " phosphate-based glass fibers preapred by coacervation" attracted great interest to the topic and questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Interviews 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Various activities ranging from briefings to MP's, Lords, briefing notes, newspaper interviews, radio interviews, newsnight, evening news appearances on BBC ITV channels throughout the pandemic but especially around vaccine launches
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022
 
Description Materials tackling infectious disease a networking workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The workshop and networking event has brought together materials chemists, clinical scientists and researchers in infectious disease biology to build new connections and to identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaborative R&D. Early career researcher attended and presented our work. This sparkled interest and and discussion on our research topic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Royal Society of Chemistry Materials tackling infectious disease workshop November 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Participation to the Royal Society of Chemistry Materials tackling infectious disease workshop.
Talk on "Coacervate and sol-gel phosphate-based glasses containing metallic ions as antibacterial agents".
Presentation has sparkled interested in the audience and in the topic
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Tuberculosis podcast on genomics (https://soundcloud.com/microbinfie) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Podcast on genomic of Tuberculosis as part of microbinfie podcast series on soundcloud platform.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://soundcloud.com/microbinfie/65-genomics-of-mycobacterium-tuberculosis
 
Description Tuberculosis podcast: the forgotten pandemic (https://soundcloud.com/microbinfie) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Part of a microbiology podcast series on soundcloud. Invited expert on Tuberculosis.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022
URL https://soundcloud.com/microbinfie/64-mycobacterium-tuberculosis-the-forgotten-pandemic