项目介绍

2021年8月9日

Overview

Our graduate programmes are internationally recognised and draw on advances in life sciences and the core discipline of biochemical engineering. We maintain close teaching and research links with experts throughout the UK and overseas, and are also involved in close collaborations with industry. This vibrant department leads in the field and offers an exciting graduate training and research environment. Independent assessments confirm the excellence and breadth of the department’s taught programmes (IChemE accredited) and place our research programmes at the forefront of international endeavours.

Researchers have access to a range of taught modules to support their research and fulfil any taught course requirements. These address advanced knowledge of the discipline as well as transferable skills. Many are taken together with industrial delegates as part of the department’s MBI® Training Programme.

Research areas

Research in UCL Biochemical Engineering focuses on three major areas: biocatalysis, biopharmaceutical bioprocessing, and human cell therapy bioprocessing. These fields each explore similar research goals which include the following:

• Environment and sustainability: exploiting green biological catalysts for biorefining and high-value pharmaceutical syntheses
• Harnessing genomics: directed evolution, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology can deliver efficient cell systems for producing biopharmaceuticals and enzymes
• Making the outcome affordable: business approaches coupled with engineering paradigms offer new healthcare opportunities
• Processing of complex biological materials: epitomised by the use of proteins, viruses and cells for therapy, the challenge is to process materials of increasing complexity to make them available to all who need them
• Speed from discovery to benefit: using small mimics, microfluidics and mathematical models provides process understanding for effective scale-translation enhancing the precision and rate of process development.

More information can be found on the department website: Biochemical Engineering MPhil/PhD

About this degree

Additional costs

The programme may be subject to an Additional Fee Element (AFE). The AFE (also known as a bench fees) is levied to cover the additional costs related to consumables, equipment, materials, attending conferences etc. As each PhD project is unique in nature, the AFE is calculated on a student by student basis and is determined by the academic supervisor. The AFE is banded into four fixed amounts: £1,000, £2,500, £5,000, £10,000 with one further band for variable sums over £10,000.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Funding

The Deparment hosts the UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in Bioprocess Engineering Leadership.

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.

CSC-UCL Joint Research Scholarship

Value:Fees, maintenance and travel (Duration of programme)Eligibility:OverseasCriteria:Based on academic merit

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Careers

Recent graduates have taken up academic posts at UCL, and various international institutions. Others have found professional employment within organisations such as Merck, GSK and Pall.

Recent career destinations for this degree include:

• Bioprocess Development Engineer, Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine
• Managing Director, Medisieve
• Project Manager, Lonza
• Process Development Scientist, Cell Therapy Catapult
• Viral Vector Downstream Processing, Boehringer Ingelheim

Employability

The department places great emphasis on its ability to assist its research degree graduates in taking up exciting careers in the sector. The research centres in UCL Biochemical Engineering are partnered with over 80 UK and global companies in total, and provide an extensive access to all major companies in the sector. The department’s UCL-accredited MBI courses also give you the opportunity to engage and network with industrialists.

Networking

All PhD and EngD students will be participants in research centres established at UCL Biochemical Engineering. All students participate in the Modular Training for the Bioprocess Industries Programme (MBI) which is also attended by company delegates, and also by industrial guest speakers. These events provide exposure to key industry contacts. Research students are also expected to attend at least one major international conference with the aim of promoting their work.

Why study this degree at UCL?

Our EPSRC and BBSRC funded PhD programme delivers a unique national capability for training the next generation of highly skilled future leaders and researchers for the UK biopharmaceutical and healthcare biotechnology sectors. They will be capable of translating new scientific advances both in manufacturing technologies and new classes of macromolecular products, into safely produced, more selective therapies for currently intractable conditions at affordable costs.

In our internationally renowned department you are able to make full use of over £30m of investment into comprehensive and unique facilities. All our leading-edge facilities are underpinned by state-of-the-art analytical equipment and experiences obtained from these world class facilities make students from the department much sought after. Facilities and labs include:

– Fully equipped pilot plant;

– Micro-engineering and lab-on-a-chip facility;

– Cell therapy bioprocessing labs;

– Responsive bioprocessing facility

The department offers a range of research degree opportunities; many supported by EPSRC awards, and by industrial sponsors. The projects draw upon the expertise within the department and the multidisciplinary research linkages of the department. Many of the PhD projects are collaborative with leading bioindustry companies and all address strategically significant issues, frequently on a truly global scale.

Department: Biochemical Engineering

What our students and staff say

Student review

“UCL is one of the few universities that offered my programme of interest and I have encountered previous colleagues with excellent careers who are UCL graduates with the same degree. There is always a vibrant lifestyle around UCL considering that it is at the heart of London, meaning that there is plenty to do on a social and academic level. Unique access to the British Library, of which is only a five minute walk away, has enabled me to gain a variety of resources that has assisted in acquiring detailed knowledge within my research area.”

MICHAEL MARTINEZ

Biochemical Engineering EngD

Application and next steps

Applications

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found in our How to apply section.

Application deadlines

All applicants30 July 2021

Applications are considered throughout the year. Deadlines and start dates are usually dictated by funding arrangements so check with the department or academic unit to see if you need to consider these in your application preparation. In most cases you should identify and contact potential supervisors before making your application. For more information see our How to apply page.

For more information see our Applications page.

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