A fully funded PhD studentship is available through the SWBio Doctoral Training Partnership, focusing on unlocking the biosynthetic potential of fungi to combat antimicrobial resistance. The project aims to discover and characterize novel antimicrobial compounds from the fungus Escovopsis weberi by integrating microbiology, chemistry, and bioinformatics approaches. The research will involve identifying and activating cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters, probing natural product assembly mechanisms, and evaluating the antimicrobial activity of newly discovered compounds.

The project is supervised by a multidisciplinary team: Claudio Greco (Swansea University), Matthew Crump (University of Bristol), Eva Sonnenschein (Swansea University), Ash Winter and Chris Willis (University of Bristol), and Barrie Wilkinson (John Innes Centre). The successful candidate will join a vibrant cohort of PhD students and benefit from training and networking opportunities across the SWBio DTP network.

Applicants should have a strong background in a relevant discipline such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or microbiology, and experience in microbiology, chemistry, or bioinformatics is desirable. The studentship covers tuition fees and provides a stipend at UKRI standard rates, with additional support for research and training. The position is based at Swansea University, with collaborative links to the University of Bristol and the John Innes Centre. The application deadline is Wednesday, 3 December 2025, for a start in September 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the SWBio DTP website.