The Synthesis and Development of Sugar-Derived Polymers for Application in Healthcare Technologies

This project will investigate whether polymers derived from sugars can be employed as structural and/or sensing elements within healthcare devices. The application of renewable and biodegradable polymers into such devices is desirable due to the lack of reliable, inexpensive and sustainable devices currently available for point of care (POC) diagnosis of many medical conditions.

The main questions that will be answered by this project are:
How can sugar-derived polymers be modified, and how does this affect their structure and properties?
What are the structures of sugar-derived polymers?
How can computational modelling be used to investigate the structure and potential functions of sugar-derived polymers?
How can sugar-derived polymer be used within healthcare devices?
How can sugar-derived polymers be used as sensing element?

To answer these questions existing and novel sugar-derived polymers will be developed and modified, and their applicability into advanced healthcare devices will be investigated. Using sugars as a platform for polymers is beneficial as they can be easily functionalized both prior to and after polymerization. This flexibility will be used to investigate the possibility of installing moieties within the polymer backbone that are capable of the specific recognition of biomarkers. These materials will then be evaluated for their incorporation into sensing or POC devices that could be used for a range of applications within healthcare. For example, in the diagnosis of infections to tackle antimicrobial resistance or for the early detection of cancer and metastasis.

Computational modelling of the polymers made during this project, using a combination of simulation techniques, including quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo, will also be investigated. The aim of the computational modelling is to investigate the bulk and solution structures of the sugar-derived polymers that will be made in the laboratory, which are as yet unknown. The properties of the synthesised polymers will also be modelled. This will help evaluate their potential to be used in healthcare applications. For example, the efficacy of sugar-derived polymer for bio sensing will be investigated using molecular dynamic simulations. These simulations will be used to investigate the interactions between the polymers and biomolecules of interest. The final goal will be to incorporate the synthesised polymers in devices, such as biosensors, which will enable their application in healthcare technologies.


Therefore, the main objectives of this project are:
The synthesis of functionalised monomers derived from renewable feedstocks
Subsequent polymerisation using various techniques to obtain bio-derived polymers
Complete thermal, mechanical and physical characterisation of such polymers
Further development and functionalisation of monomers and polymers, allowing them to be tailored towards sensing applications. Work towards this aim will include functionalising the polymer backbone with epitopes, small organic molecules, or co-ordinating to metal centres
Computational modelling of the as-synthesised polymers
The incorporation of sugar-derived polymers into prototype sensing devices
The development of functional polymers from renewable resources will tackle the reliance of commodity plastics on fossil fuels and their persistence in the environment. In addition to this, the application of these polymers into healthcare technologies will fulfil the need for sustainably sourced alternatives to current point-of-care diagnostic devices. The potential biodegradability of polymers may also allow the use of these devices in less developed healthcare systems where disposal of medical waste can be a source of pollution. This aligns with the Healthcare Technologies theme of EPSRC funded research which aims to enhance efficiency, while minimising the invasive nature of diagnostic technologies.

The Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Sustainable Chemical Technologies (SCT) at the University of Bath will place fundamental concepts of sustainability at the core of a broad spectrum of research and training at the interface of chemical science and engineering. It will train over 60 PhD students in 5 cohorts within four themes (Energy and Water, Renewable Resources and Biotechnology, Processes and Manufacturing and Healthcare Technologies) and its activities and graduates will have potential economic, environmental and social impact across a wide range of beneficiaries from academia, public sector and government, to industry, schools and the general public.

The primary impact of the CDT will be in providing a pool of highly skilled and talented graduates as tomorrow's leaders in industry, academia, and policy-making, who are committed to all aspects of sustainability. The economic need for such graduates is well-established and CDT graduates will enhance the economic competitiveness of the UK chemistry-using sector, which accounts for 6m jobs (RSC 2010), contributing £25b to the UK economy in 2010 (RSC 2013). The Industrial Biotechnology (IB) Innovation and Growth Team (2009) estimated the value of the IB market in 2025 between £4b and £12b, and CIKTN (BIS) found that "chemistry, chemical engineering and biology taken together underpin some £800b of activity in the UK economy".

UK industry will also gain through collaborative research and training proposed in the Centre. At this stage, the CDT has 24 partners including companies from across the chemistry- and biotechnology-using sectors. As well as direct involvement in collaborative CDT projects, the Centre will provide an excellent mechanism to engage with industrial and manufacturing partners via the industrial forum and the Summer Showcase, providing many opportunities to address economic, environmental and societal challenges, thereby achieving significant economic and environmental impact.

Many of the issues and topics covered by the centre (e.g., sustainable energy, renewable feedstocks, water, infection control) are of broad societal interest, providing excellent opportunities for engagement of a wide range of publics in broader technical and scientific aspects of sustainability. Social impact will be achieved through participation of Centre students and staff in science cafés, science fairs (Cheltenham Science Festival, British Science Festival, Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition) and other events (e.g., Famelab, I'm a Scientist Get Me Out of Here). Engagement with schools and schoolteachers will help stimulate the next generation of scientists and engineers through enthusing young minds in relevant topics such as biofuels, solar conversion, climate change and degradable plastics.

The activities of the CDT have potential to have impact on policy and to shape the future landscape of sustainable chemical technologies and manufacturing. The CDT will work with Bath's new Institute for Policy Research, through seminars, joint publication of policy briefs to shape and inform policy relevant to SCT. Internship opportunities with stakeholder partners and, for example, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology will provide further impact in this context.