Blood is a complex, multiphase medium. A large fraction of its volume consists of deformable cells. Blood therefore behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid, and its flow within a hollow fiber deviates systematically from that of a homogeneous liquid, in particular near the membrane wall. These near-wall conditions govern the first of several resistances acting in series: transport within the flowing blood, transport across the membrane wall, and the binding equilibrium of the solute. Identifying the dominant resistance is a prerequisite for deciding where material development is most effective.

A major focus of our work lies in hollow fiber membranes for extracorporeal blood treatment. Many clinically relevant compounds in blood circulate bound to plasma proteins, leaving only a small free fraction available for transport. This fraction differs by orders of magnitude between compounds and responds to albumin concentration, pH and competing ligands. Its influence on device performance is considerably more accessible to quantitative modelling than to direct experimental isolation.

Modelling projects in our group are developed alongside experimental work. Models are calibrated against measured or published data, and their predictions inform the design of subsequent experiments. Sensitivity analysis identifies those parameters whose uncertainty limits the reliability of the prediction, and thereby establishes the priority for further experimental characterization.

The scope of projects can be adapted for a Bachelor's or Master's thesis, or a research internship. The start date is flexible.

Tasks:

• Development of mass transport models for hollow fiber membrane modules
• Implementation and numerical solution in Python/Matlab
• Parameter estimation and model calibration against experimental and literature data
• Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis
• Critical literature review of transport and binding parameters
• Data analysis, interpretation and visualization

Your Profile:

• Enrolled in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Water Science, Computational Science or related fields
• Interest in transport phenomena, numerical methods, or biomedical applications
• Motivation for computational work
• Basic programming experience (Python, MATLAB or similar) is helpful, but not required

What We Offer:

• An interdisciplinary topic at the interface of material science, process engineering and medicine
• A project that can be carried out largely computationally
• Close supervision and a supportive working environment
• High degree of independence and room for your own ideas
• Flexible start date and adaptable project scope

Supervisor(s):

• Kai Blechmann, M.Sc.

Interested in finding out what actually limits a medical membrane device before it is built? Then feel free to contact me via e-mail (kai.blechmann[at]uni-due.de) or stop by for a chat. I'm happy to talk about possible projects.