This innovative, highly prestigious programme offers twelve students a year the opportunity to combine research and industrial training in a four year Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Biopharmaceutical Process Development.

Students spend 3.5 years on industrial placement, allowing them to build on existing skills with the latest scientific and engineering techniques and management skills to enable them to work at the interface between disciplines. This inter-disciplinary research philosophy aims to evolve techniques to more rapidly progress biopharmaceutical products through the development chain. Bioscientists and engineers working together will acquire an understanding of the business environment and will deliver significant technological advances to the UK biopharmaceutical industry.

Course Structure

During the first year, students undertake taught modules and an industry-focused research project that forms the basis for their main industrial research study.

The compulsory taught modules are: Bioprocessing Engineering Principles; Introduction to Bioprocessing; Biomeasurement Technologies I; Computer Processing of Data; and Research Methodology and Experimental Design.

Two of the taught modules are informed by the students subject background. The first choice is between; Implementation of Mathematical Techniques to Bioprocess Integration or Essential Mathematics and Systems Analysis. The second choice is either Fundamentals of Cell and Molecular Biology or Biological and Medicinal Chemistry.

In years two and three, modules build on the fundamental knowledge gained in year one and are divided into professional skills modules and technical competencies where students choose from a range of options. In year four students are encouraged to contextualise their knowledge in terms of business application. The Bio-Apprentice module sees students divided into competing teams, tasked with finding solutions to ‘real-life’ business world scenarios such as how to market a new product, surviving an FDA visit or winning a contract as a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO).

The prize for the winners will be a five day study trip to Purdue University in the U.S. or to the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences in Singapore.

Research Projects

Measurement, data and knowledge management. Process analytical technology, data management, new measurement and analysis techniques, signal pre-processing and complex data interpretation

Systems analysis and building process representations. Enhancing biosystems understanding, bioinformatics, Feature extraction, data visualisation, process modelling and representation, risk based analysis

Enhanced development and operational strategies. Experimental design strategies, whole process design, process monitoring, control and optimisation, improved operational strategies.

 

Funding

The Engineering Doctorate programme is supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Newcastle University, offering twelve fully funded industrially collaborative four year studentships per year with a tax free stipend of circa £19,000p.a.

Current Students

“After completing an MSc in Process Analytics and Quality Technology, I chose the EngD at Newcastle because it gives you the opportunity to learn more about bioprocess engineering and gain valuable industrial experience. For my placement I will be working with a large pharmaceutical company looking at ways of effectively designing experiments to maximise results from few experimental runs.”

Keeley Stepney

“I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology having also spent a year at Avecia to gain relevant industrial experience. The industrial placement helped me decide that the research I wanted to carry out had to impact the public, and the EngD does this. By working alongside industry I get to do research which matters to the public whilst also having a say in the project outline to match my own academic interests, I have the best of both with the EngD. Plus having to manage projects, liaise with academics and industrialists I get to enhance all the skills sought by employers.”

Jodie A. Symington

“I graduated from Newcastle University with a BSc (Hons) in Physiological Sciences. I then spent 8 years in the bioprocess division of a global life sciences company working in R&D, customer applications and technical marketing departments. I wanted to enhance my future employment prospects and the EngD offers a great balance of specialist business training with industry based research and having the enhanced stipend made the move from work to study possible for me.”

Juliana Haggerty

Entry Requirements

Given the interdisciplinary diversity of the EngD programme, a broad range of first degree disciplines are appropriate. Successful candidates will have a strong desire to work at interdisciplinary interfaces and the nature of the EngD research areas requires high levels of numeracy and computer aptitude.

The EPSRC funded EngD project studentships are available to those that satisfy their eligibility criteria www.epsrc.ac.uk/PostgraduateTraining/StudentEligibility.htm

Two prestigious Newcastle University funded EngD positions are available to candidates who do not satisfy the criteria but can demonstrate academic excellence.

How to Apply

Application queries can be addressed to info@nclbiosystems.net and formal applications made using the University application portal www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/applicationforms/

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