UG Summer Placement 2026 - University of Bath

The key scientific objective if this project is to determine whether NMR spectroscopy can be used to assess the composition of different gins. We will explore whether NMR can be used to identify specific botanicals in single distillate gins, and hence be used as a fingerprint to provide quality control for “signature” blends.

This self-contained project will deliver excellent training to a suitably enthusiastic undergraduate student who is interested in a Research Technical Professional (RTP) career within chemical characterisation and also keen to experience chemical research. It will give the student direct experience of RTP roles within academia, on a research project with direct industrial relevance and clear “real-world” interest.

The student will work directly with an experienced team of enthusiastic RTPs, and gain hands-on experience of modern analytical methods that are often not covered at undergraduate level but find widespread use in many university and industrial research environments. The student will also have the opportunity to shadow technicians and researchers in other technical professional roles.  They will gain invaluable experience of research: how to design projects, carry out analysis, and present results. They will also experience routine tasks common to technical roles (e.g., sample preparation, method development, running batches of samples). It will be an ideal opportunity to see first-hand what it is like to be an technical specialist in a busy university environment.