Academic staff

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.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6442-082X

My research focuses on the development of miniature bioelectronic interfaces for applications in synthetic biology and biomedical engineering. I lead a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research group in these areas at the Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems (IMNS) within the School of Engineering.

Recent work developed a miniature implantable oxygen sensor, which has been extensively tested in vivo for its potential use in cancer radiotherapy treatment and for post-operative tissue monitoring. Currently, a UoE/NHS consortium is further developing this sensor with the aim of clinical application.

We also have a strong interest in the technology that supports synthetic biological biosensor systems. Specifically, we are developing an electrochemical platform, designed to enable multi-channel data readouts from cell-free systems.

• MSc Sensor and Imaging Systems, University of Glasgow, 2016 (Distinction & Class Prize)
• PhD Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, 2011
• BA Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge, 2005

• WCSIM (Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers): Beloe Fellowship, 2018
• IEEE: Member
• Biochemical Society: Early Career Member

• Microelectronics 2 (ELEE08020): lecturing on microfabrication, assisting at tutorials, and student assessment
• MSc Electronics project (PGEE11065) and MSc Sensor and Imaging Systems project (PGEE11135): student supervision
• Analogue Mixed Signal Laboratory 3 (ELEE09032): teaching assistant
• BioSensors and Instrumentation (PGEE11040), Applications of Sensor & Imaging Systems (PGEE11136), and Edinburgh Summer Schools for Beihang University and University of North Carolina: Research guest lecturer

Tom has been Chancellor's Fellow, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Civil Engineering at the University of Edinburgh since June 2017. Previously, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Universities of Bath and Cambridge, and in engineering consultancy with White Young Green and Adams Kara Taylor, involved in civil and structural engineering design for projects ranging from a new sea lock in Swansea to the Masdar Institute building with Foster and Partners in Abu Dhabi. He studied for his PhD at the University of Bath in the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials. He then worked as Postdoctoral Research Associate on the Leverhulme Trust sponsored Natural Material Innovation project at the University of Cambridge. Tom has been a chartered member of the Institution of Civil Engineers since 2010.

MEng Engineering Science (First Class), University of Oxford 2005

PhD University of Bath 2013

PGCert Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of Cambridge 2017

Tom has been a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers since 2010

Tom teaches structural mechanics, engineering materials and design courses.

Tom researches the use of wood and bamboo in structures, structural sensing and structural dynamics.

In wood and bamboo, he is interested in connection performance, including the stiffness and strength of dowel-type timber connections, and carpentry connections, including those made by computer numerical control (CNC) fabrication.

In structural sensing and structural dynamics, Tom is interested in what designers can learn by putting sensors on structures and measuring how they move under everyday loads.

Rory Hadden holds a Personal Chair in Fire Science. Previously he was the Rushbrook Senior Lecturer in Fire Investigation. Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh he held positions at University of Western Ontario and Imperial College London.

His research interests include pyrolysis, ignition, flammability and flame spread with application to the built and natural environments. Rory specialises in experimental work ranging from laboratory scale studies to field scale measurements of fire phenomena with novel sensing methods.

PhD Engineering - University of Edinburgh - 2011

MEng (1st Class) Chemical Engineering - University of Edinburgh - 2007

CIVE09023 Fire Safety Engineering 3

CIVE10011 Fire Science and Fire Dynamics 4

PGEE11243 Fire Science Lab

• Material flammability.
• Flame spread.
• Fire emissions.
• Wildfire ignition, spread, emissions and risk assessment.
• Fire investigation.

Investigation of fires and wildfires.

I am always interested to talk to anyone with an interest in fire science, fire engineering and how we understand fires and their impacts. Feel free to get in touch.

Dr Zakary Campbell-Lochrie is a Lecturer in Fire Science. He teaches in the Mechanical Engineering discipline and conducts research as part of the Institute for Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on the combustion and fire behaviour of bio-based materials with a particular interest in the fundamental physical processes controlling flame spread, particularly in the context of wildland fires.

This involves theoretical and experimental work across multiple scales in both laboratory and field environments and the development and deployment of multi-scale fire science instrumentation.

• PhD - Engineering (Infrastructure & Environment), The University of Edinburgh
• MEng - Mechanical Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

Principles of the Fire Laboratory 5/ Principles of the Fire Laboratory (MSc)

Mechanical Engineering 2

Electrical & Mechanical Engineering 2

Cohort Lead: 3rd Year Mechanical Engineering

Katherine Dunn Research Group website

After completing the four year MPhys course at Oxford and achieving a First, I stayed on to carry out research for my DPhil, initially in the field of Terahertz Spectroscopy. After 18 months I changed direction and started a new DPhil in Biological Physics, submitting my thesis entitled ‘DNA Origami Assembly’ a little under three years later. In 2014, I went to York to take up an appointment as a Research Associate in the Department of Electronic Engineering, working primarily on synthetic DNA nanomachines in the context of bioelectronic computing.

I joined the School of Engineering at Edinburgh as a Lecturer in 2017 and became a Senior Lecturer in 2022. I am affiliated with the discipline of Mechanical Engineering and I am a member of the Institute for Bioengineering, where I carry out research in the area of Synthetic Biology.

I was named as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2021 by the Women's Engineering Society. Shortly thereafter, I was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and I took up the role of Degree Programme Manager for Mechanical Engineering in February 2022. In March 2024, I was promoted to the role of Director of Mechanical Engineering, which means I am responsible for leading Mech Eng, providing strategy and line managing the academics (over 40 people).

• DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics (Biological Physics), University of Oxford, 2014
• Master of Physics, First Class, University of Oxford, 2009

Fellow of the Institute of Physics

Fellow of The Durham Institute of Research, Development, and Invention

Current teaching (2026):

• Bio-Inspired Engineering
• Electrical and Mechanical Engineering 2 - core course for second years on the joint honours programme
• Undergraduate supervision (projects/placements)

Previous teaching activities (highlights):

• Thermodynamics - fourth year lectures/classes/assessment and supervision of second year labs/coursework
• Engineering Mathematics - vector calculus classes
• Professional Issues for Mechanical Engineers - industry matters and course organisation
• Nanofabrication (at York) - delivery of entire module
• Condensed Matter Physics, Nuclear Physics (at Oxford) - support for practical work

https://modular-power-electronics.com/

• PhD in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London (UK), 2013, awarded the “Eryl Cadwaladr Davies” Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department.
• MSc Control Systems from Imperial College London (UK), 2008, obtained with Merit.
• Diplôme "Ingénieur en Électronique" from ENSEA (Cergy, France), 2008.
• Diplôme Universitaire Technologique in "Génie électrique et Informatique Industrielle" from Institut Universitaire de Belfort-Montbéliard (Belfort, France), 2005.

• Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); societies: PELS, PESand CS
• Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

• Advanced Control for Electrical Power Engineering [MSc]
• Distributed Energy Resources and Smart Grids [4/MSc]

• Chartered Engineer, Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and Member of the Energy Institute
• 2015 - 2019: Chair for the IChemE's Scottish Members Group

Personal Tutor and Dissertation Supervisor for the MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems

Lecturer in Chemical Enginering, currently teaching part or all of the following courses:

• Process Safety and Environmental Issues in Chemical Engineering 3 (part)
• Chemical Engineering Design 3 (part)
• Chemical Engineering Desgin Projects 4 (group supervisor)
• Sustainable Energy Systems Dissertation (MSc), projects supervision

• "Appropriate" Engineering for development, including in the areas of Food, Energy and Water. For more detail, please visit www.susdev.eng.ed.ac.uk
• Conversion and storage of renewable energies: Hydrogen; biofuels and biochar; compressed air; CO₂ utilization

• For more info: Please visit my personal webpage.