Rob Morris

This PhD project sits within the FAroGels Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network at Nottingham Trent University . The work focuses on food-grade, bio-based and biodegradable aerogels for sustainable food systems, with a particular emphasis on building advanced magnetic-resonance tools to understand how these highly porous materials behave internally. The doctoral research will combine magnetic resonance imaging and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) to characterise aerogel structure, hydration dynamics and functional behaviour. The student will help develop protocol-based MRI methods and a compact bench-top TD-NMR device tailored to aerogels, using low-cost electronics, magnets and radiofrequency coils. The project is intended to generate analytical tools that can be applied across different aerogel formulations and target uses, and to translate structural insight into improved processing and quality control. The position is embedded in a wider international network of doctoral candidates working on formulation, drying and application of the aerogels. This student’s toolkit will support those partners by providing characterisation methods that link pore-scale water mobility, structural variation and performance. The research environment includes laboratory-based experimentation, data analysis, scientific communication and close collaboration with academic and non-academic partners across the FAroGels consortium. Supervision is shared by Professor Rob Morris and Dr Edward Breeds at Nottingham Trent University, together with industrial supervision from Dr Nazende Günday-Türel of MyBiotech GmbH. The project also offers planned secondments with partner institutions in Germany, Spain, Finland and Türkiye, adding an international and cross-sector dimension to the doctoral training. The position is part of a structured doctoral network and is linked to a broader research programme on aerogels for sustainable food systems.