PhD Studentship: To develop tattoo inks with colorimetric and fluorescent biosensors

Tattoo-based technologies present an approach to biointerfaces in which the body surface is rendered as an interactive display by patterning biosensors into the skin to produce color changes in response to biomarker variations in the interstitial fluid. They have the potential to combine advances in biotechnology with traditional methods in tattoo artistry.

The aim of this project is to develop tattoo inks with colorimetric and fluorescent biosensors that can report on the concentration of sodium, glucose, and pH in the interstitial fluid of the skin. The evaluation of these biosensors will be carried out in an ex vivo skin model, assessing their visibility from the dermis. This project will explore applications of tattoo sensors in the medical, lifestyle, and security domains. This work will be a platform in which the skin reveals information inside the body, tattoos form wearable displays within the skin, and the body’s metabolism works as an input for the tattoo biosensors.

The successful student will form part of a multidisciplinary team and will be supervised by Dr. Ali K. Yetisen based in the Institute of Translational Medicine (www.itmbirmingham.co.uk) and the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

Funding Notes

Students must have an undergraduate degree or master’s degree in engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science or a closely related subject.

University of Birmingham scholarships are available for exceptional UK/EU students. Self-funded international students are welcome to apply this post. Potential candidates should contact Dr. Ali K. Yetisen (a.k.yetisen@bham.ac.uk) and include a CV. Applications will be evaluated on an on-going basis until the position is filled.


References

The Dermal Abyss: Interfacing with the Skin by Tattooing Biosensors. ISWC2017 The 16th International Semantic Web Conference, Maui, HI, USA, 138-145 (September 11-15, 2017)