Biomaterials and Devices

A person in PPE holding up a circuit board with a pair of tweesers

About us

Our research aims to develop novel biomaterials and devices for a variety of technical and medical applications. To do this we employ an interdisciplinary approach with researchers from across the Faculty of Science and Technology (e.g., chemistry, engineering, physics) and Faculty of Health and Medicine (e.g., biomedical and life sciences, school of medicine), often in collaboration with non-academic partners (e.g., in industry, NHS) to ensure we deliver effective transdisciplinary solutions to complex real-world problems.

Theme Lead

Dr John Hardy

Senior Lecturer in Materials Chemistry

Dr John Hardy a Senior Lecturer in Materials Chemistry. He leads the Biomaterials Science and Engineering group at Lancaster University, where his research is driven by the desire to explore opportunities for bioprospecting to offer bio-renewable feedstocks for materials production, and to address challenges in translating such materials into real-world environments. His research spans funded projects developing stimuli-responsive materials (typically based on polymers that respond to electricity, light and magnetism) that deliver biomaterials for drug delivery, neuromodulation, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Our capabilities

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Making of Materials

We produce materials over a large range of length scales from small organic molecules (nm) to composites for the building industry (metres). A recent expansion in synthetic chemistry and additive manufacturing has added significant capacity encompassing the range from the classical hard engineering materials to soft biomaterials.

Surface features and structured thin films can be engineered at Lancaster in situ with sub-µm precision by using laser sintering, milling and machining. Energy- and material-efficient surface processing is achieved by multi-material additive manufacturing and carbon dioxide processing. Molecular functionalisation of surfaces facilitates new chemical functionality to substrates and/or devices. Applications range from bio-renewable packaging to smart implantable/wearable functional biomaterials for healthcare.

Measurement of Surfaces and Interfaces

Materials characterisation capabilities in Materials Science span length scales from single atoms to the mesoscale. Unique facilities at the centre include nanoscale resolution 3D mapping of internal structure (BEXP) of materials and buried interfaces, in situ NMR of disordered, amorphous and multiphase materials, nanometre scale mapping of thermal and mechanical properties, and atomic and single molecule resolution imaging.

Structure of hexagonal nano material
An MRI scan of a head

Multiscale Modelling

We have a comprehensive multiscale capability in modelling materials ranging from electronic and molecular structure, through the mesoscale, to large scale simulation.

We apply methods to study the structure, dynamics and properties of a wide range of surfaces and interfaces, with a central aim of integrating simulation alongside experimental measurement and the synthesis/manufacturing processes to constantly inform one another at all stages.

As well as standard modelling techniques (such as density functional theory, molecular dynamics and finite element analysis) unique specialisms to Materials Science include Quantum Monte Carlo, free energy calculations, quantum transport and ab initio modelling of actinides and lanthanides with relevance to nuclear medicine.