PhD Studentship under Supervision of Dr Jenny Zhang

A PhD studentship for international or UK nationality students available starting October 2026 or sooner to join a highly collaborative project within the 'SOLARSPOON' consortium funded by the European Innovations Council. The project will be based primarily within Dr Jenny Zhang's laboratory at the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, working closely with Prof Erwin Reisner's team at the same department, in addition to four other international organisations. The project aims to develop an all-in-one biohybrid device for the solar-driven production of food ingredients, with a focus on developing a biophotoanode comprised of microorganisms that are compatible in food production conditions. The student will explore a number of bioelectrochemical and materials fabrication techniques, and later will work with world experts in additive manufacturing to incorporate it into new devices. The student will also be expected to carry out bioelectrode fabrication and in-depth characterisation, using techniques including 3D-printing, electrochemistry, spectroscopies and microscopies. They will be expected to work in multi-disciplinary teams, in particular, they will work closely with materials scientists and engineers to test the output of the electrodes with the context of biohybrid devices. The candidate will gain a wide range of technical experience relevant to biotechnology development, as well as personal development and leadership skills. This is a fully-funded PhD studentship covering fees for both home and international students as well as maintenance support for the duration of the PhD course.