Andrew's research
To develop simple extrusion protocols for silk-based ink that should pave the way to more advanced ink in the future.
I was tempted to join the “Silk Group” within the DTP, to work with esteemed Professors like Neil Thomas and Sara Goodacre. They were developing tailor-made spider silks with interesting qualities like antibiotic release and water resistance. This was a more bioinformatics and biochemistry-based approach, so I ended up working towards the 3D printing of spider silks
I started with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and fell in love with immunity, infection, and bacterial pathogenicity. After some industrial work in microbiology, I pursued a master’s degree in Molecular Medicine. With my diverse knowledge base, I found my research applications moving towards bioengineering rather than infection science. After some deliberation, I decided spider silk-based biomaterials were the way to go.
The rotation periods were an excellent taster of what the full PhD projects can offer.
I am currently working with the School of Chemistry, but on a project that leans more towards Engineering. This will require me to split my time between the Biodiscovery Institute and the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. I learnt about topics ranging from organic chemistry to 3D printing of biomaterials and plastics to how to manually handle a spider and extract silk from its spigots. This kind of multidisciplinary orientation increased my confidence and competence in the main project.
Bachelor’s and Master’s students are more often congregated in lecture halls whereas PhD students get to experience the working culture of one or several labs. It helps you get acclimatized to the kinds of work environment and team dynamics you can expect in the future.
One of the most ignored aspects of PhD study is the “silent” learning of organizational culture.
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I really enjoyed the team-building exercises during the program. We had a “Crystal Maze”-inspired event that got our brains running in ways beyond academic fare. We made friends here with whom we can share a range of interests, creating bonds of a lifetime. I may go on to become a senior scientist, start my own company around my research interests, or do a bit of both as the future unfolds. The DTP program opened doors to a wide range of career possibilities for me.