PhD Studentship: Understanding the Impact of the Innate Respiratory Resistome on AMR

Respiratory infections drive the global AMR crisis. Most adult prescriptions of antibiotics are for respiratory infections, the majority of which are empirical prescriptions without diagnosis of an infectious agent and have systemic impacts on the human microbiome. The respiratory microbiome is understudied, but is present in all people, it is separated into the upper and lower respiratory tracts and contains many organisms, however the level and type of innate antimicrobial resistance to various classes of clinically used antibiotics remains unknown.

This project aims to characterise the extent of antimicrobial resistance, whether and how it transfers between organisms in the respiratory microbiome and whether the combination of organisms present gives synergistic resistance to antimicrobial challenges.

In this studentship the postgraduate researcher will:

• Define the respiratory resistome using the extensive Respiratory Microbiome Group (Cox) respiratory microbiome culture collection
• Demonstrate the extent of AMR mobility within and between species
• Identify how co-culture of respiratory consortia might enhance or reduce antimicrobial susceptibility

Overall we aim to understand the fundamentals of resistance in the respiratory microbiome in healthy individuals to allow more targeted development of antibiotics or reveal alternative approaches to increase the efficacy of treatments. In this project we aim to establish rules fundamental to the respiratory resistome, and tools that allow this to be probed further. There are no clinically efficacious lung probiotics and no tools beyond antibiotics to for respiratory infections and this project anticipates this need, allowing us to manipulate the respiratory microbiome and facilitating an integrated understanding of health.

Techniques to be used during the project will include Cultures, MICs, conjugation assays. Genome sequencing, plasmid sequencing and bioinformatics. Co-culture, biofilm growth and development of co-resistance methods. High throughput consortia assays using OnChip Droplet flow cytometry and droplet sorting.

This project is a collaboration between the Buckner group and the Respiratory Microbiome Group and the PGR will benefit from the support of both, developing a unique combination of skills in AMR research and microbiome research. Cox and Buckner have started a collaboration using their complementary approaches to understanding the respiratory microbiome. Cox is focused on understanding the respiratory microbiome and how in health it might be exploited to prevent or ameliorate disease. Buckner has extensive expertise in AMR and particularly its transfer between different organisms. Little is known about resistance in the respiratory tract despite this being such an important site for health and infection, our combination of expertise is well placed to meet this need.

The project will be supervised by Dr Michael Cox (m.j.cox@bham.ac.uk) and Dr Michelle Buckner. For more information, please see: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mibtp/ 

Funding notes:

The project is offered through the Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) which is funded by a BBSRC Doctoral Landscape Award. Applications should be made through the MIBTP website, though interested candidates are strongly advised to get in touch with the supervisors first.

Advert information