Engineering Optical Fibres to See Inside Tissue

Engineering Optical Fibres to See Inside Tissue

Research checked: 5 November 2026 | University of Bath, Department of Physics | Intended start: October 2027

Quick Decision

Promising with material uncertainties. The distinctive opportunity is to connect specialist multicore-fibre design and fabrication with two different tissue readouts: Raman spectroscopy for chemical fingerprints and hyperspectral imaging for wavelength-resolved images. The stated work spans fibre combination/fusion/tapering, optical characterisation, building an optical system, tissue-like sample experiments and code for signal processing. Physics, photonics and engineering backgrounds are explicitly encouraged; an MSc is advantageous, not required.

The project-specific information supplied for this review gives 10 January 2027 as the application date and warns that the competition could close early. Bath’s current Department of Physics roster now lists a funded project with the same supervisor pair under the different title “Multicore Fibre Devices for Hyperspectral Endoscopy”; the public roster does not repeat the 10 January date or explicitly cross-reference the supplied title. Treat the position as potentially open, not fully verified: ask Dr Stephanos Yerolatsitis whether these are the same project, confirm the exact title for the application form and deadline/time zone, and submit early if confirmed. Bath’s current Physics project roster

URSA is described by Bath as covering Home or Overseas tuition, a competitive annual stipend and up to £1,000 per year of training support for up to 3.5 years in Science and Engineering. Its public page does not state the stipend amount for an October 2027 entrant. The Physics PhD page says most students finish in four years, so the difference between a 3.5-year award and a typical four-year programme needs a clear answer before accepting. URSA excludes visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge. URSA terms · Physics PhD programme

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

What Is Unsolved and Why It Matters

The project asks whether a miniature fibre probe can collect useful information from below the surface of biological tissue. The motivating example is drug penetration through the cornea during treatment of fungal keratitis. A global review estimated at least about 1.05 million cases of fungal keratitis annually, with substantial variation by region; a clinical review describes delayed diagnosis, slow culture results and prolonged treatment as challenges. Those reviews support the clinical motivation, but they do not establish that this proposed device will improve diagnosis or treatment. Global incidence review · Clinical treatment review

The project description says there is currently no non-invasive way to check how deeply a drug has reached the cornea. That wording should be read as a claimed gap in established routine clinical practice, not as proof that no prior experiment exists: a 1999 study used confocal Raman spectroscopy to measure topical drug transport in the living rabbit cornea. It was a small animal proof-of-concept, not evidence of a current clinical tool or a fungal-keratitis treatment study. Historic ocular Raman study

Work, Methods, and Potential Outputs

The advertised technical sequence is unusually specific:

• Combine, fuse and taper multiple optical fibres into a miniature multicore probe.
• Vary fibre geometry and core arrangement, then test how optical properties influence delivery and collection of light.
• Use Raman spectroscopy to detect chemical fingerprints and hyperspectral imaging to capture wavelength-dependent image information. These methods answer related but different questions; their integration, calibration and interpretation are part of the challenge.
• Build optical systems, experiment on tissue-like samples, and develop code to process and interpret signals.
• Choose a main emphasis among fibre design/modelling, experimental fabrication or optical signal processing.

Bath’s facility can fabricate imaging and non-standard multicore fibres using stack-and-draw methods. The broader Bath Medical Photonics work also describes multicore imaging fibres, hollow-core Raman sensing and collaborations with clinicians, engineers, patient groups, industry and regulators. These are strong relevant capabilities, but the public evidence does not identify the specific clinical partner, confirm access to human corneal samples or promise patient testing for this project. Fibre facility capabilities · Bath Medical Photonics

An applicant should therefore distinguish a plausible research output—better-characterised probe geometries and validated measurements on tissue-like samples—from unconfirmed translational outcomes such as a clinically ready instrument, patient study or improved treatment. Ask what the initial benchmark will be, what tissue model is planned, and how the team will compare Raman and hyperspectral measurements.

School, Programme and Field Context

The degree-awarding institution is the University of Bath, through its full-time Physics PhD in the Department of Physics. No separate employer, hospital host or joint degree is identified in the project information. Bath says most Physics PhD candidates take four years full-time; the programme includes research monitoring and ends with a thesis and viva. Physics PhD · Doctoral application guide

Bath’s official institutional summary reports a QS World University Rankings 2027 overall rank of 125 out of 1,504; it is not a Physics subject rank. More directly relevant, the University’s REF 2021 results for the Physics unit (including Physics and Electronic & Electrical Engineering) were 42% 4-star and 54% 3-star, or 96% combined 4*/3*. REF is a research assessment, not a current league table. Bath Physics includes the Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials and an Optical Fibres group with theory, simulation and fabrication work. Bath rankings and reputation · REF 2021 results · Optical Fibres group

The course asks for a First or upper-second-class degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject. It lists IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0 as one accepted English example, requires two references (at least one academic from the most recent institution), and says ATAS may be needed for international students. The specific project description says non-UK applicants must meet the English requirement by its funding deadline, while the general course page says requirements must be met before starting; verify which timing applies to this competition. The formal application is through Bath’s online Physics PhD form. The project-specific instructions say to choose “University of Bath URSA” in the funding field and enter the project title and lead supervisor in the project field; confirm which title to use before submitting. Physics PhD entry/application requirements · Bath doctoral application process

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

Supervisor Research Directions

Dr Stephanos Yerolatsitis is a Lecturer in Physics and part of Optical Fibres and the Centre for Photonics. His profile describes bespoke hollow-core and multicore fibres, modelling, simulation, fabrication, post-processing and integration into compact imaging systems; it says he is accepting doctoral students. Prof Tim Birks works on structured and exotic fibres, including tapered, photonic-lantern, photonic-crystal and multicore fibres, linking theory and simulation with experimental fabrication. The project’s main design/fabrication components align closely with both profiles. Yerolatsitis profile · Birks profile · Optical Fibres group members

Recent Important Publications

1. Wood et al. (2023), tri-mode optical biopsy probe. The team combined a high-resolution imaging fibre, a multimode fibre for time-resolved fluorescence and a hollow-core fibre for Raman collection in a 1.2-mm catheter. They tested flexibility, navigation in an airway model and ex-vivo human lung tissue. This is a close engineering precedent for packaging multiple optical modalities into a small probe. Its limits matter: it addresses airway/lung imaging, not corneal drug depth, and it does not establish clinical efficacy. Bath Research Portal article

2. Jenkins et al. (2023), computational fluorescence suppression in shifted-excitation Raman spectroscopy. The paper compares computational approaches for separating weak Raman signals from tissue fluorescence using real-world datasets. It is directly relevant to the project’s signal-processing component because fluorescence can obscure Raman features. It does not prove that the same algorithm or dataset will work for cornea or the proposed probe. PubMed record

3. Sabbah et al. (2024), low-threshold deep-ultraviolet generation in hollow-core fibre. This paper demonstrates the group’s capability in engineered hollow-core fibre design and fabrication. It is useful evidence of technical depth in microstructured fibre physics, but its optical source application is distinct from tissue hyperspectral/Raman imaging. Optics Letters paper

4. Harrington et al. (2025), multimode imaging with hollow-core fibres. This conference proceeding reports transmission-matrix measurement for an anti-resonant multimode hollow-core fibre at 633 nm and explores imaging in simulations. It indicates recent work toward imaging through hollow-core fibres, but is an early step and a short conference paper rather than a completed endoscope validation. Bath Research Portal proceeding

An earlier flexible sub-millimetre Raman probe paper provides technical context for fibre geometry and shifted-excitation Raman, but it predates the main 3–5-year publication window. 2021 Raman probe paper

Lab, Resources, and Collaboration Environment

Bath’s Optical Fibre Fabrication Facility is a research-grade cleanroom with two drawing towers and furnaces exceeding 2,100°C. Its stack-and-draw capability explicitly includes imaging and non-standard multicore fibres. The Physics facilities page confirms the fibre facility is available in the department. Facility overview · Physics facilities

Bath’s wider Medical Photonics programme works with clinicians and other partners on fibre-based endoscopy and Raman sensing. A 2023 Bath-led probe paper also had extensive clinical and translational co-authorship. Together, these establish a real local environment for medical photonics; they do not confirm who will supervise the clinical interface for this studentship. Ask how fibre-drawing access is scheduled, what characterization equipment is available to the student, who handles tissue protocols, and how the two named supervisors divide responsibility.

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

URSA states that Science and Engineering awards can run for up to 3.5 years. Funding includes Home or Overseas tuition, a competitive annual maintenance stipend and up to £1,000 per year for training. The scheme is open to Home and International students, subject to academic, immigration and any ATAS requirements. Student visa costs and the mandatory Immigration Health Surcharge are excluded. The public page does not publish this project’s stipend, award count, payment dates or 2027/28 contract. URSA

For new full-time Science PGR entrants in 2027/28, Bath currently lists the Overseas Physics PhD fee at £31,350; the Home rate is still shown as pending the UKRI rate. Bath says fees can rise by up to 8% annually. URSA says tuition is covered, but applicants should verify whether its full-fee coverage continues through any extension or fee increase. 2027/28 Science research fees

Bath’s 2026/27 postgraduate sample budget estimates £453 per week and £24,206 for 52 weeks, including a laptop; average University-managed rent is estimated at £286 per week. It excludes tuition, flights and visa charges. Bath’s current money guidance separately recommends roughly £1,300 per month for living costs and says Bath is more expensive than many UK areas. Current 2026/27 postgraduate accommodation prices vary by room and location: standard university-managed rooms are around £182–£220 per week, with ensuite examples around £232–£295. These are planning estimates and room prices, not an all-inclusive budget. 2026/27 sample budget · Bath money advice · Accommodation prices

UKRI’s published 2026/27 minimum stipend is £21,805, but that is only a comparator and does not establish the URSA amount. Against Bath’s illustrative £24,206 annual budget, the UKRI benchmark would leave a nominal shortfall of about £2,401 before visa/flight costs and assuming that sample spending applies. Do not use this calculation as a prediction of the actual URSA stipend or a personal budget. UKRI stipend guidance

Applicant Fit and Preparation

Required Background and Skills

The project-specific academic requirement is a First or good Upper Second UK honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Physics, photonics and engineering are explicitly welcomed; a Master’s-level qualification is advantageous, not mandatory. Non-UK applicants must meet the English requirement by the project deadline according to the specific project description. The general programme page gives the current English example and identifies ATAS as a possible international requirement. Physics PhD requirements · URSA eligibility

The project does not state Raman experience, a particular programming language or prior clinical research as a hard requirement. Its advertised work nevertheless makes evidence of at least one relevant strength useful: optical physics or fibre design, hands-on experimental work, spectroscopy, numerical modelling, scientific coding or data analysis. Applicants should describe concrete contributions and results rather than list software or instruments without context.

Preferred Experience and Suggested Preparation

Before applying, prepare a concise explanation of how your strongest experience maps to one of the three project emphases—design/modelling, fibre fabrication or signal processing—and how you would learn the other parts. A short research portfolio could include a fibre/optics design, a reproducible analysis notebook, an experimental setup you built, or a spectroscopy project, if available. These are suggested application evidence, not extra stated eligibility conditions.

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying

1. Email Dr Yerolatsitis to ask whether the current roster entry “Multicore Fibre Devices for Hyperspectral Endoscopy” is the same competition as “Engineering Optical Fibres to See Inside Tissue.” Ask which exact title and lead supervisor to enter.
2. Confirm whether the application is still open, the 10 January 2027 date and exact closing time/time zone, and whether an earlier close is possible.
3. Confirm the URSA 2027/28 stipend, award availability, overseas tuition conditions, and whether English evidence must be complete by the funding deadline or only before course start.
4. Ask how the 3.5-year award is handled alongside the typical four-year Physics PhD, including fee and stipend coverage during any funded extension or writing-up period.
5. Use Bath’s online Physics PhD form and follow the project-specific instruction to select “University of Bath URSA”; attach required transcripts, CV, references and supporting information per the application guide.

At Interview

• Which probe design, sample model, wavelengths and comparison methods are already set, and where is the student expected to make the main independent contribution?
• How will Raman and hyperspectral outputs be calibrated and compared? What are the planned performance measures for depth, sensitivity, resolution and repeatability?
• Which clinician or clinical group is committed, and does the project involve human samples, ethics approvals or only tissue-like models?
• How is fibre-facility access organized, and what training, characterization tools and optical/spectroscopy support will the student receive?
• What are the respective supervisor roles, meeting cadence, research group size and expected balance between modelling, fabrication, experiments and coding?

Before Accepting an Offer

Obtain written confirmation of the stipend and full fee coverage period, any funding gap after 3.5 years, visa/IHS and relocation costs, consumables and conference travel, and whether the exact project scope or start date differs from the public description.

Evidence and Sources

Project, Programme and Institutional Context

• Available PhD projects in the Department of Physics
• University Research Studentship Award (URSA)
• Physics PhD
• How to apply for doctoral study
• Department of Physics
• Rankings and reputation
• Research Excellence Framework 2021 results

Supervisors, Research Environment and Publications

• Optical Fibres research group
• Optical Fibres group members
• Dr Stephanos Yerolatsitis profile
• Prof Tim Birks profile
• Optical Fibre Fabrication Facility
• Physics facilities
• Medical photonics
• Tri-mode optical biopsy probe with Raman spectroscopy
• Computational fluorescence suppression in shifted-excitation Raman spectroscopy
• Ultra-low-threshold deep-ultraviolet generation in hollow-core fibre
• Multimode imaging with hollow-core fibres
• Flexible sub-millimetre fibre probe for Raman spectroscopy

Field, Clinical Context, Funding and Costs

• Multispectral imaging and Raman endoscopy in a rat intestinal model
• Lensless single-shot multicore-fibre endomicroscopy using a multispectral hologram
• Global incidence and diagnosis of fungal keratitis
• Fungal keratitis: clinical presentations, treatment strategies and outcomes
• Non-invasive assessment of ocular pharmacokinetics using confocal Raman spectroscopy
• UK Photonics 2025: The Hidden Economic Engine
• Institute of Physics careers in physics
• Faculty of Science postgraduate research tuition fees 2027/28
• UKRI stipend guidance
• Money advice for postgraduate students
• Postgraduate accommodation prices 2026/27
• Postgraduate sample budget 2026/27