Dr Elizabeth Ratcliffe

Background:

Dr Elizabeth Ratcliffe is a Senior Lecturer in Biological Engineering, she was awarded a Vice Chancellor’s Lectureship in 2016 in open competition against 1650 candidates across all University Schools and Departments and awarded her Senior Lectureship in 2020. Her research combines biological engineering, bioprocessing and manufacturing science to tackle challenges in Regenerative Medicine, Gene Therapies and Antimicrobial Resistance.

Elizabeth is currently developing º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub (IEEH), funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and leading a new Vice Chancellor’s Research Cluster in Inclusive Engineering; People to Products. Previously, she led the establishment of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s undergraduate Bioengineering programmes (2017-2022), was awarded an EPSRC Impact Acceleration Enterprise Fellowship (2014-2016) and worked from being a Named Lead Researcher through to Co-Investigator on many collaborative projects within º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s £5M EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine (2010-2015).

During this time, she pioneered EPSRC Centre research to explore Synthetic Biology applications in systematic engineering of cell based products and their integration into process engineering tools and techniques for cell culture manufacturing processes (2013-2016). Working alongside Professors David Williams OBE and Rob Thomas with world-leading commercial and academic collaborators to establish manufacturing processes for human stem cell-based products including Pfizer Neusentis, GE Healthcare, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, Cook Myosite and the DARPA funded blood pharming programme (2008-2012). Her work includes novel development and use of advanced automated cell culture platforms and application of Quality Engineering tools to improve the quality of stem cell bioprocessing, including the first-time use of Response Surface Methods, and Quality by Design approaches to improve process consistency, Cost of Goods and product quality.

Elizabeth previously worked and studied at The University of Nottingham where her early research in a hospital-based clinical commercialisation interface setting included development of novel vaccine antigens for prevention of orthopaedic implant infection (1st grant 2007-2008; PhD 2004-2007), working alongside Professor Brigitte E. Scammell (UKs 1st female Professor of Orthopaedics) and Professor Roger Bayston (inventor of Bactiseal® antimicrobial platform for hydrocephalus-related CSF shunting, Codman, Johnson & Johnson).

Qualifications:

• 2018 FHEA, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• 2016 Medici Enterprise Training Programme, University of Birmingham, UK.
• 2015 Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 4 Award in Leadership and Management.
• 2014 CSci, Chartered Scientist, Royal Society of Biology
• 2014 CBiol, Chartered Biologist, Royal Society of Biology
• 2014 Institute of Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safely Certificate.
• 2011 PRINCE2® PRojects IN Controlled Environments Practitioner, accredited by BCS.
• 2004 – 2007  Ph.D. in Molecular Medical Biology, competitively awarded University of Nottingham Scholarship, University of Nottingham
• 2002 - 2003  MSc Molecular Medical Microbiology, European Union Masters Scholarship Award, University of Nottingham
• 1999 - 2002  BSc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Nottingham

Key awards:

• 2022 Principal Investigator, £400k Vice Chancellor’s Research Cluster award in Inclusive Engineering; People to Products, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ (2023 – 2027)
• 2022 £480k award from the DIGILabs Project funded by the Office for Students UK, to develop integrated virtual and physical bioreactor training and new developments in virtual reality biolabs (2023 – 2026).
• 2022, IChemE Global Awards, High Commendation in Diversity and Inclusion Award
• 2022 Project Manager and Co-Principal Investigator, £65k Diversity Impact Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering to develop an Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub.
• Further funding awarded for 3 PhDs in Developing Inclusivity in Engineering (2023-2026) from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and a philanthropic award of $10k from Fluor Ltd.
• 2019 Co-Investigator, £71k PhD studentship award (£25k research funding), EPSRC/MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine (2019-2022)
• 2018 Principal Investigator, £25k, EPSRC Bridging the Gaps in Antimicrobial Resistance
• 2017 Co-Investigator, £3k, EPSRC Bridging the Gaps in Antimicrobial Resistance, Network Building Award
• 2016 Principal Investigator, £71k, PhD studentship award (£25k research funding), EPSRC/MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine (2016-2020)
• 2016 Principal Investigator, £52k, PhD studentship award, VC Lectureship Scholarship, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ (2016-2020)
• 2015 Principal Investigator, £42k, PhD studentship award in Fighting Infectious Disease, mini-Centre for Doctoral Training, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ (2016-2019)
• 2014 Principal Investigator, £140k, EPSRC Impact Acceleration Enterprise Fellowship
• 2013 Co-Investigator, £223k, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine
• 2013 Co-Investigator, £80k, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine
• 2011 Researcher Co-Investigator, £225k, EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine

Professional affiliations:

• Chartered Scientist (CSci)
• Chartered Biologist (CBiol),
• Associate Editor for the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Engineering Biology journal.
• Member of the Royal Society of Biology (MRSB)

Outline of main research interests:

Elizabeth’s research interests are aimed at providing solutions to barriers in the translation of emerging therapies towards the clinic and translation towards manufacture. Her research combines biological engineering, bioprocessing and manufacturing science to tackle challenges in Regenerative Medicine, Gene Therapies and Antimicrobial Resistance.

Current projects include developing methodologies and tools for bioprocessing and scale-up in virus manufacture (gene therapies and bacteriophage manufacture) and stem cell therapies including new methods to bio-profile mesenchymal stem cells. Further projects include the development of natural treatments for tackling antimicrobial-resistant infections and the development of diagnostic mass spectrometry biosensor profiles for chronic wounds.

Elizabeth has experience and interest in the development and use of advanced automated cell culture platforms and the application of Quality Engineering tools to improve the quality of stem cell bioprocessing, including the first-time use of Response Surface Methods, and Quality by Design approaches to improve process consistency, Cost of Goods and product quality.

Additional interest in Synthetic Biology stems from her earlier genetic engineering PhD research focussed on the generation of novel vaccine antigens for the prevention of orthopaedic implant infection.

PhD positions

There are currently a number of fully-funded PhD studentships available, please see our full list of PhD opportunities.

We welcome proposals from students for co-designing projects, if you have an interesting idea for a research project in research relating to antimicrobial resistance, virus or cell manufacture that you would like to undertake, please contact me by email.

Teaching responsibilities:

• CGA014 Bioengineering Design and Make, Module Leader
• CGC824 Biochemical Engineering, Module Leader
• CGC054 Bioengineering Individual Project, Module Leader
• CGP086 Fundamentals of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
• CGD066 Professional Development Project

Administrative responsibilities:

• Bioengineering Operations Committee
• Bioengineering Admissions Champion

Selected publications:

Rosenthal, K, Hunsicker, E, Ratcliffe, E, Lindley, M, Leonard, J, Hitchens, JR, Turner, M. 2021. Volatile atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry headspace analysis of E. coli and S. aureus, Analytical Methods, 13(45), pp.5441-5449, ISSN: 1759-9660. DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01555a.

Ali, J., Rafiq, Q., and Ratcliffe, E. 2020. Improving phage titre through examining point of infection. Res. Sq. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-17640/v1.

Ali, J., Rafiq, Q., and Ratcliffe, E. 2019. A Scaled down Model for the Translation of Bacteriophage Culture to Manufacturing Scale. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 116(5): 972-984. SNIP 1.2, SJR 1.3, DOI: 10.1002/bit.26911.

Balzamo, G., Wilcock, H., Ali, J., Ratcliffe, E., and Mele, E. 2018. Bioinspired Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Membranes with Directional Release of Therapeutic Essential Oils. Langmuir, 34(29): 8652-8660. SNIP 1.0, SJR 1.2, DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01175.

Ali, J., Rafiq, Q., and Ratcliffe, E. 2018. Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms and Potential Synthetic Treatments, Future Science (Open Access), 4(4): FS0290, DOI: 10.4155/fsoa-2017-0109.

Evans, A., Win Niang, M., and Ratcliffe, E. 2017. Rising influence of Synthetic Biology in Regenerative Medicine, Engineering Biology (Open Access), 1, 1-6. DOI: 0.1049/enb.2017.0007.

Hourd, P., Chandra, A., Alvey, D., Ginty, P., Ratcliffe, E., McCall, M., and D.J. Williams. 2015. Academic facility qualification for automated manufacture of autologous cells, Regenerative Medicine, 9, 799-815. DOI: 10.2217/rme.14.47.

Mitchel, P., Ratcliffe, E., Kerby, J., Williams, D. and R.J. Thomas. 2014. Optimisation of cell recovery from cryopreservation using QbD, Tissue Engineering C: Methods, 20, 1-10, IF 4.6, SJR 1.02, DOI: 10.1089/ten.TEC.2013.0595

Ratcliffe, E. 2014. Staphylococcus aureus binding proteins for Prevention of Orthopaedic Implant-related Infection. Journal of Microbial and Biochemical Technology, 6, 303-313, IF 2.16, SNIP 1.25, DOI: 10.4172/1948-5948.1000160.

Ratcliffe, E., Stacey, A., and R. Thomas. 2014. Visualising medium and biodistribution in complex cell culture bioreactors, Biotechnology Progress, 30, 256-260, DOI: 10.1002/btpr.1840.

Ratcliffe, E., Glen, K., Win Naing, M., and D.J. Williams. 2013. Stem cell-based therapies undergoing clinical trials: case studies, British Medical Bulletin, 108, 1-21, IF 4.45, DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldt034.

Glen, K., Workman, V., Ahmed, F., Ratcliffe, E., Stacey, A., and R.J. Thomas. 2013. Production of erythrocytes from hematopoietic progenitor cells, Cytotherapy, 15, 1106-1117, IF 3.1. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2013.04.008.*

Ratcliffe, E., Hourd, P., Guijarro-Leach, J., Rayment, E., Williams, D., and R.J. Thomas. 2013. Response surface methodology for maximising productivity of cell manufacture, Regenerative Medicine, 8, 39-48, IF 3.5. DOI: 10.2217/rme.12.109.

Williams, D., Thomas, R., Hourd, P., Chandra, A., Ratcliffe, E., Liu, Y., Rayment, E., and J.R. Archer. 2012. Precision manufacturing for clinical-quality regenerative medicines, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 370, 3924-3949, IF 2.4, DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2011.0049.

Ratcliffe, E., Stacey, A., and R.J. Thomas. 2012. Novel automated bioreactor for scalable process optimisation of haematopoietic stem cell culture (HSC), Journal of Biotechnology, 161,387-390, IF 2.9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.06.025.

Thomas, R., and E. Ratcliffe. 2012. Automated adherent human cell culture (Mesenchymal stem cells), Methods in Molecular Biology, 806, 393-406, IF 1.3. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-367-7_26.

Ratcliffe, E., Thomas, R.J., and D.J. Williams. 2011. Current understanding and challenges in bioprocessing stem cell-based therapies, British Medical Bulletin, 100, 137-155, IF 4.45. DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldr037.

View full list of publications

External Collaborators:

• University of Birmingham
• University College London
• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Imperial College London

External roles and appointments:

• Associate Editor for the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Engineering Biology Journal
• Member of the Royal Society for Biology (RSB)