Dr Sam Parkinson

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University

Scientific Background

Research Interests

My research focuses on developing intelligent, self-driving laboratories (SDLs) that integrate robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of functional polymer materials for bioscience applications. In particular, I am interested in creating polymer nanoparticles and advanced formulations that can address challenges in drug delivery, protein purification, and biotechnology.

By combining high-throughput polymer synthesis, automated characterization, and machine learning–guided optimization, my work aims to unlock new materials that interact with biological systems in precise and controllable ways. Ultimately, my goal is to establish adaptive platforms that not only accelerate discovery but also deliver reproducible, sustainable, and impactful solutions for healthcare and the life sciences.

Research Groups

Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME)

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: supportive, goal-driven, student-centred

Provision of Training

I prefer to take responsibility for your technical training initially, providing structured guidance and support, before gradually encouraging greater independence as your confidence and expertise grow. This ensures a strong foundation while fostering autonomy and problem-solving skills over time.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I will set out my expectations of your progression on a weekly/monthly basis. If these progression criteria are not met we will always discuss a plan of action together.

Communication

I may sometimes email my team outside of normal hours, but I do not expect you to respond until your typical working hours.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per fortnight. These meetings will be a mixture of face-to-face and via video chat or telephone. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week's notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Engineering cushioned bilayers for enhanced biophysical characterisation of membrane proteins

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Engineering cushioned bilayers for enhanced biophysical characterisation of membrane proteins

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Pollock, Dr. Manish Singh Kushwah

University of Registration: Aston University

BBSRC Research Themes:

Understanding the Rules of Life (Structural Biology)

Project Outline

Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) control vital cellular processes and are the target of most modern therapeutics. Despite this, characterisation of these proteins and development of therapeutics for their disease states remains technically challenging. Traditionally IMPs were extracted from bilayers using detergents which disrupted their native state and function. The importance of lipid bilayers to maintain membrane proteins in their functional states and complexes is an emerging area of research which will address the current limitations in the field. This project will meet that challenge by developing polymer-cushioned supported bilayers with tunable heights, creating versatile model membranes for studying IMPs in environments that closely mimic the cell.

The project will combine polymer chemistry, membrane biochemistry, and advanced biophysical techniques to engineer bilayers supported by substrate bound polymer cushions of varying thickness. Lipid mobility in these bilayers will be characterised using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) allowing lipid composition and polymer properties to be probed in detail. Protein insertion into and diffusion within the bilayers will be measured using dynamic mass photometry (DMP). This cutting-edge label-free method simultaneously measures protein mass and diffusion at the single-molecule level. In this way we will develop bilayers tuned to the requirements of model proteins including aquaporins, GPCRs, and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The proteins will be reconstituted into bilayers from native nanodiscs, enabling direct analysis of insertion, oligomerization, and lateral diffusion.

By linking polymer design to bilayer properties and protein behaviour, this project will provide fundamental insights into the co-dependence of membranes and IMPs. This will establish new opportunities for drug and antibody screening against this critical but underexplored class of therapeutic targets.

Co-supervisor on project with: Dr Manish Kushwah