As the Year of Engineering gets underway, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced support for 28 pioneering new research projects - including one led by MAPP Investigator Dr Candice Majewski, University of Sheffield.

When the Drugs Don’t Work… Manufacturing our Pathogen Defences looks at the production of medical and consumer products and devices with inherent anti-bacterial properties.

It will provide crucial early-stage investigations into the possibility of combining cutting-edge Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) techniques with a silver-based anti-bacterial compound in order to produce highly complex products incorporating anti-bacterial properties.

Dr Majewski said: “Additive Manufacturing techniques are well-recognised for their ability to produce complicated geometries with little or no cost penalty, and the anti-bacterial properties of silver have been known for millennia. Bringing the two together presents a real opportunity to provide a significant impact on our ability to guard against infection.”

EPSRC has announced an investment of £6.6 million through the Engineering for a Prosperous Nation call to support projects with potentially transformative impact in fields ranging from autonomous vehicles to energy storage and healthcare technology.

Applicants submitted anonymous outline proposals before pitching their ideas during interviews at EPSRC headquarters in Swindon. Click here for the full list of projects, including two others led by Sheffield academics.