PhD Studentship: A Mine of Information: Genomic Analysis of the Diversity and Evolution of Streptomyces for AMR and Natural Product Discovery

Award summary

100% Home fees covered and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £19,237 (2024/25 UKRI rate). 

Overview

We are facing a global health crisis; antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is leading to infections that are harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death and by 2050 AMR is predicted to be the biggest cause of worldwide deaths. Most clinically used antibiotics come from Streptomyces and other soil bacteria. Despite their importance, many genes within the Streptomyces pangenome are still poorly understood. Grasping the role and prevalence of these genes at a population level is essential for discovering new antibiotics and natural products. You will apply cutting edge genomics and computational analysis to probe the genomes of collections of Streptomyces strains to understand their diversity and evolution. Throughout the project the student will be encouraged and supported to learn and apply computational, data science and wet lab methods and techniques, essential in today’s era of big data biology. This research is timely and critical in the fight against AMR. The insights and methodologies from this project will enhance our understanding of Streptomyces genomics, leading to the discovery of new antimicrobials and natural products. Additionally, the findings will shed light on the mechanisms driving horizontal gene transfer and genetic diversity within Streptomyces, offering new strategies to combat AMR.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 16^th September 2024

Award duration: 3.5 years

Sponsor: Newcastle University

Supervisors: Matt Bawn

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in biosciences or an equivalent subject.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

The studentship covers fees at the Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria).

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8020F
• Research Area: Biological Sciences
• Select ‘PhD Biology (full time)’ as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form.
• The studentship code SNES297 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.
• When prompted regarding your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload:

• Your CV

You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.

Contact details: matt.bawn@newcastle.ac.uk

Advert information