NTPMI Workshop: Emerging Technologies for Technicians in Biomaterials

Overview

This one-day workshop aims to highlight emerging technologies within biomaterials and how Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) can champion these within their institutions.

RTPs attending the workshop will learn about a wide range of techniques and technologies applicable to biomaterials, as well as having the opportunity to discuss best practice for biomaterials laboratory management, the upkeep of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and how best to share knowledge across the biomaterials RTP community.

Date: 14th May 2026

Format: In-person

Location: Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester

Cost: Free

Background and motivation

Biomaterials is a broad area that requires specialist technicians to be able to work within a variety of different lab set-ups at a scale ranging from nano to large, with the list of emerging technologies expanding. Through an overview of these emerging technologies, including discussion of the technical expertise required for their implementation, it is hoped that opportunities for collaboration within the community will be generated, as well as offering new modes of working at the RTPs’ home facilities. Furthermore, to support RTPs within this field, it is important to be able to share knowledge and best practice. Following presentations from biomaterials laboratory management experts, technicians will be able to discuss equipment, SOPs, and sharing knowledge through databases via a panel discussion. There will also be an opportunity to tour the biomaterial labs within the Henry Royce Institute following the close of the meeting.

Audience

This event is open to RTPs and travel can be subsidised for those coming from out of the Greater Manchester area by NTPMI.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Learning outcomes

After the course participants should be able to:

• Identify a variety of emerging techniques and technologies used in biomaterials.
• Discuss current working methods and best practice for laboratory management and knowledge sharing databases in biomaterials.
• Contribute to a network of RTPs in the UK for the advancement of biomaterials.

Programme

Speakers/Trainers

• Richard Collins (Manchester)
• Xinyue Chen (Sheffield)
• Tushar Dandekar (Portsmouth)
• Daniel Bax (Cambridge)
• Gurdeep Singh (Manchester)
• Jose Anguita (Surrey)
• Muireann Nic an Bheatha (Glasgow School of Art)
• Robert Crapnell (MMU)
• Steven Marsden (Manchester)

Organisers

• Ross Nolan
• Jen Adcott
• Rachel Saunders
• Michael Avery
• Huda Al-Jurani