Dr Kai Hoettges PhD
Senior Lecturer Electrical Engineering and Electronics
- +44 (0)151 794 4613
- Work email K.Hoettges@liverpool.ac.uk
Research
Research Overview
Kai Hoettges's research is at the interface between engineering and life sciences. He works on developing new instruments to generate data-rich highly automated experiments for life sciences.
Highlights of his work are:
- Microgravity experiments: Developing highly automated miniaturised experiments to conduct life science experiments on the international space station. As part of a multidisciplinary team, he is part of MicroAge Launching an experiment studying muscle loss in microgravity on the ISS in Dec 2021 and is currently preparing work for MicroAge II which will be launched in 2025 and in FLUMIAS to be launched in 2025.
- Diagnosing antibiotic susceptibility in urinary tract infection. Translating technology developed at the University of Liverpool from a lab-based research assay to a point-of-care instrument that can be deployed to a primary care setting. This has led to a spin-out company PhenuTest Diagnostics Ltd.
Dielectrophoresis
Dr Hoettges is using Dielectrophoresis (DEP) to characterise, separate and assemble cells and nanoparticles.
DEP has great potential for rapid non-invasive measurement of the electrical properties of cells. This has shown to have numerous applications in life science research, drug discovery and diagnostics.
DEP has further potential for the directed assembly of cell structure in tissue engineering and can be combined with photo-polymerised hydrogels to assemble complex structures.
Bioreactors
Dr Hoettges is interested in bioreactors allows a high degree of control over the chemical, electrical and mechanical environment of cells and tissues, combined with continuous monitoring over a period of several days.
Bioreactors for microgravity Research
Dr Hoettges is working on a number of projects studying biological processes in microgravity. For this, he is developing new bioreactors as well as monitoring and imaging technology that can be deployed on the international space station. He developed monitoring technology for MicroAge which was flown to the international space station on the SpaceX24 mission (Dec2021). And is developing a microfluidic cell culture chip for an experiment on the new FLUMAS structured light microscope that will be deployed on the International Space station in 2024.
Research Grants
Low-cost open-source instrument for the detection of fibrin amyloid microclots in platelet-poor plasma of Long COVID patients
BALVI PTE.LTD
January 2024 - January 2025
MicroAge II: Mitochondria as Key Regulators of Muscle Mass in Microgravity and during Ageing the Funded Activities
UK SPACE AGENCY (UK)
February 2023 - February 2025
Development of the UK study for the ESA FLUMIAS project: Mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide as a mediator of muscle loss under microgravity and ageing
UK SPACE AGENCY (UK)
July 2022 - December 2025
Mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide as the mediator of skeletal muscle loss under microgravity and during ageing on earth
UK SPACE AGENCY (UK)
October 2021 - September 2022
Microgravity as a model for accelerated skeletal muscle ageing
UK SPACE AGENCY (UK)
November 2018 - May 2022