Jianbo learns to be a biologist

I am honoured to be part of the joint PhD training program between the University of Manchester and the University of Melbourne, which has provided me with the opportunity to have a one-year research visit in Melbourne. During a holiday back home, I was delighted to receive my visa confirmation and subsequently arrived in Melbourne at the end of October 2025.

My research is in the interdisciplinary fields of material science and biology. At the University of Manchester, under the supervision of Dr. Ahu Gumrah Parry, I focus on exploring the self-assembly of colloidal particles and their corresponding photonic crystal products. The key motivation of this programme is understanding the mechanisms of the photonic crystals formed in nature. Following that question, I began the new stage of my PhD research at the University of Melbourne, and started the investigation on the photonic structure in scarab beetles.

Over the past six months, I have been very lucky to receive much support from Prof. Devi Stuart-Fox, Dr. Laura Ospina Rozo, Mia Wansbrough, and many other colleagues in the group. Their guidance has allowed me to gradually expend my research perspective and gain valuable experience in biological world. Mia and I had already established a strong collaborative connection during her three-month visit to Manchester last year, so it is very exciting to continue working together in Melbourne and to be introduced more deeply to this area of biology.

Coming from a materials science background, studying these iridescent beetles is a fascinating experience. Unlike “traditional” materials samples, biological specimens can be more energetic. For example, the beetle may suddenly run away or even fly upwards during imaging. Overall, the past six months have been delightful and rewarding. I have gained experience in inspecting beetles’ development, preparing and dissecting biological samples, and characterising them using a wide range of research techniques. At the same time, when I return to the spectrometers and electron microscopes that I know so well, I feel a familiar sense of comfort and confidence.

Outside the laboratory, living in Melbourne has also been a wonderful experience. I have had the chance to explore the city with new friends and to appreciate its distinctive streets, food culture, and lifestyle, all of which differ in interesting ways from Manchester. The brighter weather has also been a noticeable change from the UK, which I am certainly appreciate.

I am very much looking forward to making the most of the remaining months of my visit and, hopefully, completing this stage of my research successfully.

Post by Jianbo Xu, PhD student