Chemical Engineering

Synthetic Biology

The bottom-up approach to synthetic biology aims to create life-like artificial cells from non-living components. Our group specialises in creating synthetic cells that contain multiple sub-compartments (analogous to eukaryotic cell organelles). To do this, we use droplet microfluidics and giant lipid vesicles (or GUVs). Once created, we can setup multi-step enzymatic reaction cascades between the compartments.These synthetic cells can shed light on natural biological cell functions but can also be used for industrial applications like biofuel production or in biomedical applications for drug delivery.

Lipid Membranes

Cell membranes need to be structurally complex in order to perform a multitude of cellular functions. Studying individual components, like biomembranes, is typically performed using real cells. However, isolating biomembranes from the rest of the cell can be difficult or impossible. Therefore, as an alternative, our lab uses model membranes. Here, different aspects of the membrane, such as lipid composition, permeability, and membrane proteins can be studied in isolated under controlled conditions, free from other cellular influences. Different types of lipid membranes serve as our models including GUVs on the micron-scale, and nano-sized lipid vesicles down to 100 nm. In addition, we also use these model membranes systems to study membrane fusion as well as ligand-membrane interactions. Key to our success is the development of our cutting-edge lipid vesicle formation methods including microfluidics and bulk emulsions.

Microfluidics

Microfluidic technology is used throughout the different research topics in the Robinson lab. We current focus on using microfluidics for the following applications:

• Single cell handling and analysis (including cancer cells, and active swimmers).
• High-throughput production of monodisperse lipid vesicles (via double emulsion templating).
• Advanced handling, manipulation (flow, compression, electrofusion), and analysis of lipid vesicles.

Designing, fabricating, and testing novel microfluidic systems for new applications also makes up its own unique line of research. 

• Microfluidics.
• Bottom-up synthetic biology.
• Lipid vesicles.
• Membrane fusion.
• Advanced microscopy: including FLIM, confocal, multiphoton, and high-speed capture.
• Single cell handling and analysis.

Eleonora Ricci joined the University of Edinburgh as a Lecturer in 2023. Previously, she was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow at the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Athens, Greece. In 2021 she was a postdoctoral researcher and Adjunct Professor of Molecular Simulation Fundamentals at the university of Bologna. She obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy (2020).

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, 2020, University of Bologna, Italy.
• Master's Degree in Chemical and Process Engineering, 2016, University of Bologna, Italy.
• Bachelor's Degree in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, 2014, University of Bologna, Italy.

I am a Reader in Chemical Engineering within the Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids. My research interests include multiphase flows, phase changes, capillarity and wetting, and engineered surfaces. 

If you are interested in becoming a PhD student or a postdoc in my group, please contact me via email. 

PhD Physics, University of Barcelona

DEA Physics, University of Barcelona

Dip Chemical Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Member of the Institute of Physics

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Member of the EPSRC College of Reviewers

Member of the UK Consortium of Mesoscale Engineering Sciences

Undergraduate

• Process Dynamics and Control
• Chemical Engineering Research Projects

Postgraduate

• MSc Chemical Engineering Research Projects 

Currently,

• Adjunct Professor of Chemical Engineering, Yonsei University, 2024 - Present
• Exchange Programme Coordinator for Chemical Engineering
• Cohort Lead for 2024 incoming cohort of chemical engineering students

In the past,

• KOFST Brain Pool Fellow
• Senior Research Engineer, SK Energy R&D Center, Korea
• KOSEF/Research Fellow, University College London

• BSc, MSc, PhD in Chemical Engineering, Yonsei University, Korea

Member of KIChE, AIChE and IChemE.

Currently, I am teaching

• Advanced Chemical Engineering Design 5/MSc: course organiser 
• Separation Processes for Carbon Capture 5/MSc: course organiser
• Separation Processes 5/MSc: teaching half of the lectures
• Engineering Mathematics 2A: seminars
• MSc project/Study project 4/Research project 5/Industrial project 5: project supervisors

In the past, I had taught

• Interdisciplinary Group Design Project (Engineering): Power Station with Carbon Capture and Storage for chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering students / course organiser and project leader
• Chemical Engineering Design 3: chemical process design using UniSim
• Chemical Engineering Design Project 4: organising reactor design exercise using Matlab and heat exchanger design exercise, design group supervisors / course organiser
• Chemistry and Processes 2: supervising the student visits to plant sites
• Chemical Engineering in Practice 3
• Thermodynamics 2 Laboratory
• Engineering Mathematics 2B: seminars

• Carbon Capture Group

• Laurea summa cum laude in Chemical Engineering, University of Bologna, Italy, 2005
• PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of Bologna, Italy, 2009
• Post Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, 2014

• Associate Member of IChemE
• Member of NZBio
• Investigator in the Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

• Chemical Engineering Unit Operations 3 - CHEE09009

• Development of high resolution 3D Printing methods
• Bioseparations for the production of bioproducts/pharmaceuticals, focus on chromatography
• Wet resistant adhesives
• Material science, focus on biomaterials

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA
• MSc in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA
• Eberly Center Diploma in Higher Education, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA
• Diploma in Translation (DipTrans), Institute of Linguists, London, UK
• Diploma in Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

• AIChE (CAST), IChemE (CAPE WG), TMS, ASEE, SoCI

• Programme Director of the MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering
• Oil and Gas Systems Engineering 4/5 (SCEE11008)
• Chemical Engineering Design Projects 4 (CHEE10002)
• Chemical Engineering Study Project 4 (CHEE10009)
• Chemical Engineering Industrial Project 5 (CHEE11014)
• Chemical Engineering Research Project 5 (CHEE11017)

Pharmaceutical Process Systems Engineering

• Read: Process modelling and simulation for continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing of artemisinin

Technoeconomic Evaluation of Batch and Continuous Pharmaceutical Processes

• Read: Plantwide design and economic evaluation of two Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (CPM) cases: Ibuprofen and artemisinin

Biochemical, Food & Drink Process Dynamic Optimisation

• Read: Multi-objective process optimisation of beer fermentation via dynamic simulation

Oil & Gas and Energy Systems Modelling and Optimisation

• Read: First-principles rheological modelling and parameter estimation for nanoparticle-based smart drilling fluids

Oil & Gas Project Technoeconomic Evaluation

• Read: A database and workflow integration methodology for rapid evaluation and selection of Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) technologies for heavy oil fields

High-Temperature Materials Processing Optimisation

• Read: Model-based sensitivity analysis and experimental investigation of perlite grain expansion in a vertical electrical furnace

• Pharmaceutical Process Systems Engineering
• Biochemical, Food & Drink Process Dynamic Optimisation
• Oil & Gas and Energy Systems Modelling and Optimisation
• High-Temperature Materials Processing Optimisation