Dr. Tom Swift,Associate Professor
Information about Dr. Tom Swift at the University of Bradford.
- School of Chemistry & Biosciences
(Faculty of Life Sciences) - Email:
- t.swift@bradford.ac.uk
- Telephone:
- +44 1274 235487
- Website(s)
- http://www.polybiomaterials.com
Biography
Dr Swift's research focuses on functional polymer materials; primarily stimuli responsive macromolecules which respond to their surroundings. These have application in various biotechnologies (both disease sensing and controlled delivery of treatments), in formulation science and broader engineering applications. He has an interest in developing new characterisation techniques to better understand these complex material systems. He received a degree as a master of Chemistry (MChem Industry) from the University of York, having spent his fourth year at an industrial placement at AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints division researching novel film functionality where he remained for a brief period developing novel paint formulations. He later began a PhD at the University of Sheffield where he specialised in stimuli responsive polymer synthesis and analysis, in a range of fields and applications including; fluorescence tagging, material characterisation, solution behavior of smart polymers and an understanding of water treatment processes. Practical experience with free radical, RAFT and ATRP methods of synthesising both linear polymers, branched polymers and hydrogels, extensive use of GPC techniques and time resolved fluorescence spectrometers.He took up his post as Lecturer at the University of Bradford September 2016, originally as Lecturer in Polymer Characterisation before receiving a promotion to Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry in 2019. He was the Programme Lead for the BSc Chemistry Apprenticeship until January 2023, a level 6 training program for the Laboratory Scientist standard. He is also a co-investigator of the Project CAYMAN and Project SIBLING industrial collaborations - funding designed to encourage access to academic expertise across the north of England.
Research
I study functional polymer materials - linking molecular interactions of long chain molecules to applied uses in healthcare or engineering. My training during my PhD provided me synthetic expertise in self condensing vinyl polymerisation, controlled polymerisation (RAFT, ATRP, Cationic ring opening polymerisation). Doctor Swift is particularly interested in controlling the size and architecture of functional polymer materials and this requires advanced techniques to control the rates and direction of polymerisation reactions. I am particularly interested in polymers as stimuli responsive materials, and so do research into the complex physics that drive their solution or solid state behaviour. One recent research interest has been the discovery that the pH responsive solution behaviour of poly(acrylic acid) is driven by pH. Polymers interact with a range of other materials and Dr Swift is interested in the way polymers interact with each other or other components in solution.
Teaching
Details on teaching interests, highlights and modules are available for Dr. Tom Swift as follows:
Teaching interests
My focus is Research led teaching. I train students to gain new abilities, skills and insight to develop themselves as excellent researchers. From 2017 to 2023 I was the programme leader for our BSc Chemistry Apprenticeship programme (a part time programme delivering education to Laboratory Scientist Level 6 Apprenticeship students). I sit on the national Level 6 and Level 7 Laboratory and Research Scientist Apprenticeship trailblazer committees, discussing the needs of scientists in industry with professional bodies, representatives from industry and civil servants to ensure that we are teaching science students to meet the needs of future industry. At Bradford I am the module leader for the BSc Chemistry practical laboratory modules - meaning I have oversight of all practical taught laboratory classes throughout the programme. I also teach taught content in Materials Characterisation and Imaging, and oversee final research dissertation for our Materials Chemistry and Analytical Science MSc students.
Teaching highlights
Programme Leader for BSc Chemistry Apprenticeship (2018 - 2023)Co-ordinate and plan for our distance learning, industrially focused BSc Chemistry course.In addition to this role I deliver on the following modules CFS4026-D - Practical Chemistry 1 - Module leader (2016 - 2020, 2023 - )CFS7018-B - Materials Characterisation (Module Leader, 50% module load)CFS7028-B - Imaging (50% module load)CFS7023-E - Research Project - Advanced Investigations (Module Leader 2016 - )Past:CFS5018-B - Physical Chemistry 2 (Colloids content - 2020 only)And I have offered student research supervision for projects in the following modules:CFS7005-E - Stage Four Research Project (MChem)CFS7023-E - Research Project - Advanced Investigations BIS6026-D - Biomedical Science Research ProjectBIS7005-E - Research Project (Biomedical Science)ARC6025-D - Dissertation (Archaeology)
Teaching modules
| Title | Subject | Module code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Laboratory and Research Skills | Chemistry | Since 2024 | |
| Practical Chemistry 1 | Chemistry | 2016 to 2020, then since 2023 | |
| Practical Chemistry 2 | Chemistry | Since 2024 | |
| Research Project - Advanced Investigation | Chemistry | Since 2019 | |
| Practical Chemistry 1 (for Apprentices | Chemistry (Apprenticeship) | 2018 to 2020, then since 2023 | |
| Materials Characterisation | Chemistry | Since 2019 |
Publications
There are 46 publications involving or that are attributed to Dr. Tom Swift. They are listed as:
- book chapter (1)
- peer reviewed journal (45)
Book Chapter
| Title | Year | Publication name | Journal | Volume | Pages | Authors | Editors | ISSN | Publisher | DOI | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH Dependence of Acrylate-Derivative Polyelectrolyte Properties | 2019 | Acrylate Polymers for Advanced Applications | Acrylate Polymers for Advanced Applications | Thomas Swift | IntechOpen | 10.5772/intechopen.82569 |
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Title | Year | Publication name | Journal | Volume | Pages | Authors | Editors | ISSN | Publisher | DOI | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The pH-responsive behaviour of poly(acrylic acid) in aqueous solution is dependent on molar mass | 2016 | RSC Soft Matter | 12 | Swift, Thomas; Swanson, L.; Geoghegan, M.; Rimmer, Stephen | https://doi.org/10.1039/C5SM02693H | ||||||
| Evaluating the Irritant Factors of Silicone and Hydrocolloid Skin Contact Adhesives Using Trans-Epidermal Water Loss, Protein Stripping, Erythema, and Ease of Removal | 2023 | ACS Applied Biomaterials | Edward Dyson, Stephen Sikkink, Davide Nocita, Peter Twigg, Gill Westgate, and Thomas Swift* | ACS | 10.1021/acsabm.3c00874 | ||||||
| Supramolecular chemistry enables vat photopolymerization 3D printing of novel water-soluble tablets | 2023 | International Journal of Pharmaceutics | 643 | 123286 | Jun Jie Ong, Yee Lam Chow, Simon Gaisford, Michael T Cook, Thomas Swift, Richard Telford, Stephen Rimmer, Yujia Qin, Yang Mai, Alvaro Goyanes, Abdul W Basit | 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123286 | |||||
| Real-Time Determination of Molecular Weight: Use of MaDDOSY (Mass Determination Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy) to Monitor the Progress of Polymerization Reactions | 2024 | ACS Polymers Au | Owen Tooley;William Pointer;Rowan Radmall,;Mia Hall;Thomas Swift,;James Town,;Cansu Aydogan,;Tanja Junkers,;Paul Wilson,;Daniel Lester;David Haddleton | 10.1021/acspolymersau.4c00020 | |||||||
| MaDDOSY (Mass Determination Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy) using an 80 MHz Bench Top NMR for the Rapid Determination of Polymer, Macromolecular Molecular Weight | 2024 | Macromolecular Rapid Communications | Owen Tooley, William Pointer, Rowan Radmall, Mia Hall, Valentin Beyer, Kieran Stakem, Thomas Swift, James Town, Tanja Junkers, Paul Wilson, Daniel Lester, David Haddleton | 10.1002/marc.202300692 | |||||||
| Insight into the Liposomal Encapsulation of Mono and Bis-Naphthalimides | 2024 | RSC Pharmaceutics | Abdullahi Magaji Dauda,Thomas Swift, Richard Telford, Hend A. A. Abd El-waha, Chhanda Charan Danta, Klaus Pors and Amalia Ruiz | Royal Society of Chemistry | 10.1039/D3PM00060E | ||||||
| Oligo(styryl)benzenes liposomal AIE-dots for bioimaging and phototherapy in an in vitro model of prostate cancer | 2024 | Journal of Colloid and Interface Science | 670 | Víctor Vázquez-Villar;Chandrima Das;Tom Swift;Jacobo Elies;Juan Tolosa;Joaquín C. García-Martínez;Amalia Ruiz | Elsevier | 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.05.042 | |||||
| Design and Modelling of an Induction Heating Coil to Investigate the Thermal Response of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Applications | 2024 | BioMedInformatics | 4 | Philip Drake;Ali Algaddafi;Thomas. Swift;Raed. A. Abd-Alhameed | 2673-7426 | 10.3390/biomedinformatics4020056 | |||||
| Investigation into the development of novel lanthanide-based luminescent colorants for application to textiles and paper materials | 2023 | Coloration Technology | D M Lewis, P J Broadbent, M L A Rigout, C M Carr*, C C Seaton, and T Swift | https://doi.org/10.1111/cote.12675 | |||||||
| Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of fly ash removal from aqueous systems: adsorption of alginate to silica and alumina | 2022 | RSC Soft Matter | 18 | Fateh Eltaboni, Sehaj Singh, Linda Swanson, Thomas Swift, Abdulraheem SA Almaki | 10.1039/D2SM00558A | ||||||
| Interfacial Cocrystallization Using Oily Phase via Liquid−Liquid Phase Separation | 2022 | CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN (ONLINE) | 22 | M. Asim Sajid Al-Hanafi, Mhd Bashir Alsirawan, Colin C. Seaton, Thomas Swift, Sudhir Pagire, Venu R. Vangala, Adrian L. Kelly, and Anant Paradkar | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00263 | ||||||
| Peristomal Skin Complications: New Materials Needed to Ease the Ostomy Care Market | 2023 | British Journal of Dermatology | Thomas Swift | 10.1093/bjd/ljad006 | |||||||
| Stabilisation of acrylic latexes containing silica nanoparticles for dirt repellent coating applications | 2023 | Polymer | 271 | Thomas Swift | Elsevier | 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125830 | |||||
| Chain-Extendable Crosslinked Hydrogels Using Branching RAFT Modification | 2023 | Gels (Basel, Switzerland) | 9 | Stephen Rimmer, Paul Spencer, Davide Nocita, John Sweeney, Marcus Harrison and Thomas Swift | 10.3390/gels9030235 | ||||||
| Generation and Use of Functional Hydrogels That Can Rapidly Sample Infected Surfaces | 2022 | MethodsX | unknown | Thomas Swift, Abigail Pinnock, Nagaveni Shivshetty, David Pownall, Sheila MacNeil, Ian Douglas, Prashant Garg, Stephen Rimmer | 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108881 | ||||||
| Evaluation of ligand modified poly (N-Isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel for etiological diagnosis of corneal infection | 2022 | Experimental Eye Research | 214 | Thomas Swift, Sheila MacNeil, Stephen Rimmer, David Pownall, C. W. Ian Douglas, Prashant Garg, Nagaveni Shivshetty, Abigail Pinnock | 10.1016/J.EXER.2021.108881 | ||||||
| Branched amphotericin functional poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide): an antifungal polymer | 2021 | Royal Society Open Science | 8 | Thomas Swift, Emily Caseley, Abbigail Pinnock, Joanna Shepherd, Nagaveni Shivshetty, Prashant Garg, C. W. Ian Douglas, Sheila MacNeil and Stephen Rimmer | 10.1098/rsos.201655 | ||||||
| Förster resonance energy transfer in fluorophore labeled poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)s† | 2020 | Journal of Materials Chemistry C | 8 | Ronald Merck Thomas Swift, Ryan Rees, Joachim F. R. Van Guyse, Ella Schoolaert, Karen De Clerck, Heidi Ottevaere, Hugo Thienpont, Valentin Victor Jerca and Richard Hoogenboom | Royal Society of Chemistry | 10.1039/D0TC02830D | |||||
| Development of a novel micro-bead force spectroscopy approach to measure the ability of a thermo-active polymer to remove bacteria from a corneal model | 2021 | Scientific Reports | 11 | J. Pattem, T. Swift, S. Rimmer, T. Holmes, S. MacNeil & J. Shepherd | 10.1038/s41598-021-93172-1 | ||||||
| Semi-interpenetrating Polyurethane Network Foams Containing Highly Branched Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) with Vancomycin Functionality | 2021 | ACS Applied Biomaterials | 4 | 4319 - 4327 | Thomas Swift, Richard Hoskins, John Hicks, Edward Dyson, Marc Daignault, Dorothy Buckle, C. W. Ian Douglas, Sheila MacNeil, and Stephen Rimmer | 10.1021/acsabm.1c00116 | |||||
| Effect of polymerisation by microwave on the physical properties of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) specific for caffeine | 2020 | Polymer Chemistry | 11 | 5778 - 5789 | Heli A. Brahmbhatt, Alexander Surtees, Cavan Tierney, Oluwabukunmi A. Ige, Elena V. Piletska, Thomas Swift and Nicholas W. Turner | Royal Society of Chemistry | 10.1039/D0PY00921K | ||||
| Developments in silicone technology for use in stoma care | 2020 | British Journal of Nursing | 29 | S6 - S15 | Swift T.;Westgate G.;Van Onselen J.;Lee S. | 0966-0461 | 10.12968/bjon.2020.29.6.S6 | ||||
| Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of Bacteria Mineral Interface Adsorption of Lipopolysaccharides to Silica and Alumina | 2020 | Langmuir | 36 | Fateh El-Taboni, Emily Caseley, Maria Katsikogianni, Linda Swanson, Thomas Swift,* 4andMariaE.Romero-Gonzaĺez* | American chemical society | doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02158 | |||||
| Highly branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) functionalized with an inducer molecule suppresses quorum sensing in Chromobacterium violaceum | 2019 | Chemical Communications | 55 | 9765 - 9768 | Shepherd, J.; Swift, Thomas; Chang, Chien-Yi; Boyne, J.R.; Rimmer, Stephen; Martin, William H.C. | https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CC02524C | |||||
| Osteoinduction of 3D printed particulate and short-fibre reinforced composites produced using PLLA and apatite-wollastonite | 2019 | Composites Science and Technology | 184 | Melo P.;Ferreira A.;Waldron K.;Swift T.;Gentile P.;Magallanes M.;Marshall M.;Dalgarno K. | 0266-3538 | 10.1016/j.compscitech.2019.107834 | |||||
| Short phosphate glass fiber - PLLA composite to promote bone mineralization | 2019 | Materials Science and Engineering C | 104 | 109929 | Priscila Melo, Emma Tarrant, Thomas Swift, Anthony Townshend, Matthew German, Ana-Marina Ferreira, Piergiorgio Gentile, Kenneth Dalgarno | Elsevier | 10.1016/j.msec.2019.109929 | ||||
| A Method for Estimation of Plasma Protein Binding Using Diffusion Ordered NMR Spectroscopy (DOSY) | 2024 | Rsc Medicinal Chemistry | Rachel Taylor;David Wilkinson;Thomas Swift;Kamyar Afarinkia | Royal Society of Chemistry | 10.1039/D4MD00244J | ||||||
| Highly-branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) functionalised with pendant Nile red and chain end vancomycin for the detection of Gram-positive bacteria | 2019 | Acta Biomaterialia | 87 | 197 - 206 | Swift, Thomas; Katsikogianni, Maria G.; Hoskins, Richard; Teratarantorn, P.; Douglas, I.; MacNeil, S.; Rimmer, Stephen | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2019.01.066 | |||||
| A muscle mimetic polyelectrolyte–nanoclay organic–inorganic hybrid hydrogel: its self-healing, shape-memory and actuation properties | 2019 | Journal of Materials Chemistry B | 7 | 1475 - 1493 | Banerjee, S.L.; Swift, Thomas; Hoskins, Richard; Rimmer, Stephen; Singha, N.K. | https://doi.org/10.1039/C8TB02852D | |||||
| Highly-ordered onion micelles made from amphiphilic highly-branched copolymers | 2018 | Polymer Chemistry | 9 | 5617 - 5629 | Canning, S.L.; Ferner, J.M.F.; Mangham, N.M.; Wear, T.J.; Reynolds, S.W.; Morgan, J.; Fairclough, J.P.A.; King, S.M.; Swift, Thomas; Geoghegan, M.; Rimmer, Stephen | https://doi.org/10.1039/C8PY00800K | |||||
| Polymer Conformation Determination by NMR Spectroscopy: Comparative Diffusion Ordered 1H-NMR Spectroscopy of Poly(2-Ethyl-2-Oxazoline)s and Poly(Ethylene Glycol) in D2O | 2024 | Polymer Chemistry | Bryn D. Monnery;Valentin Victor Jerca;Richard Hoogenboom;Thomas Swift | 10.1039/D4PY00505H | |||||||
| Antibiotic functionalised polymers reduce bacterial biofilm and bioburden in a simulated infection of the cornea | 2018 | Biomaterials Science | 6 | 2101 - 2109 | Doroshenko, N.; Rimmer, Stephen; Hoskins, Richard; Garg, P.; Swift, Thomas; Spencer, H.L.M.; Lord, Rianne M.; Katsikogianni, Maria G.; Pownall, D.; MacNeil, S.; Douglas, C.W.I.; Shepherd, J. | doi.org/10.1039/C8BM00201K | |||||
| The effect of hyperbranched poly(acrylic acid)s on the morphology and size of precipitated nanoscale (fluor)hydroxyapatite | 2017 | Shallcross, L.; Roche, K.; Wilcock, C.J.; Stanton, K.T.; Swift, Thomas; Rimmer, Stephen; Hatton, P.V.; Spain, S.G. | |||||||||
| A self-healable fluorescence active hydrogel based on ionic block copolymers prepared via ring opening polymerization and xanthate mediated RAFT polymerization | 2018 | Polymer Chemistry | 9 | 1190 - 1205 | Banerjee, S.L.; Hoskins, Richard; Swift, Thomas; Rimmer, Stephen; Singha, N.K. | doi.org/10.1039/C7PY01883E | |||||
| Segmental mobility studies of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) interactions with gold nanoparticles and its use as a thermally driven trapping system | 2018 | Macromolecular Rapid Communications | 39 | Swift, Thomas; Rehman, K.; Surtees, Alexander P.H.; Hoskins, Richard; Hickey, Stephen G. | doi.org/10.1002/marc.201800090 | ||||||
| Poly(acrylic acid) interpolymer complexes | 2017 | RSC Soft Matter | 13 | Swift, Thomas; Seaton, Colin C.; Rimmer, Stephen | |||||||
| Analysis Using Size Exclusion Chromatography of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) using Methanol as an Eluent | 2017 | Journal of Chromatography A | 1508 | 16 - 23 | Swift, Thomas; Hoskins, Richard; Telford, Richard; Plenderleith, R.A.; Pownall, David; Rimmer, Stephen | doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2017.05.050 | |||||
| Binding of bacteria to poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) modified with vancomycin: Comparison of behavior of linear and highly branched polymers | 2017 | Biomacromolecules | 18 | 2887 - 2899 | Teratanatorn, P.; Hoskins, Richard; Swift, Thomas; Douglas, C.W.I.; Shepherd, J.; Rimmer, Stephen | doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00800 | |||||
| Förster Resonance Energy Transfer across interpolymer complexes of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(acrylamide) | 2017 | Swift, Thomas; Paul, N.; Swanson, L.; Katsikogianni, Maria G.; Rimmer, Stephen | |||||||||
| Pseudo electron-deficient organometallics: limited reactivity towards electron-donating ligands | 2017 | Dalton Transactions | 46 | 15676 | Pitto-Barry, Anaïs; Lupan, A.; Zegke, Markus; Swift, Thomas; Attia, A.A.A.; Lord, Rianne M.; Barry, Nicolas P.E. | doi.org/10.1039/C7DT02827J | |||||
| pH Responsive Highly Branched Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with Trihistidine or Acid Chain Ends | 2016 | RSC Advances | 6 | 71345 - 71350 | Swift, Thomas; Lapworth, J.; Swindells, K.; Swanson, L.; Rimmer, Stephen | https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA13139E | |||||
| Poly(acrylic acid) interpolymer complexation: use of a fluorescence time resolved anisotropy as a poly(acrylamide) probe | 2014 | RSC Advances | not known | Swift, Thomas; Swanson, L.; Rimmer, Stephen | |||||||
| Highly-branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)s with core-shell morphology below the lower critical solution temperature | 2014 | RSC Advances | 4 | Plenderleith, R.A.; Swift, Thomas; Rimmer, Stephen | https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RA10076J | ||||||
| Core (Polystyrene)−Shell [Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)] Particles | 2017 | ACS APPLIED MATERIALS AND INTERFACES | 9 | 7577 - 7590 | Mckenzie, A.; Hoskins, Richard; Swift, Thomas; Grant, Colin A.; Rimmer, Stephen | doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b15004 | |||||
| Measuring poly(acrylamide) flocculants in fresh water using inter-polymer complex formation | 2015 | Environmental Science: Water Research And Technology | 1 | 332 - 340 | Swift, Thomas; Swanson, L.; Bretherick, A.; Rimmer, Stephen | doi.org/10.1039/C4EW00092G |