Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Unlocking Fungal Biosynthetic Potential to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance Swansea University in United Kingdom

[Fully funded studentship: £19,237 stipend, £16,000 Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG), and £1,920 fieldwork budget.]

Project Overview:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, with the overuse and misuse of antibiotics accelerating the evolution of resistant pathogens. This fully funded PhD studentship at Swansea University aims to address AMR by unlocking the biosynthetic potential of the fungus Escovopsis weberi, a promising but understudied source of novel antimicrobial compounds. The project is multidisciplinary, combining microbiology, chemistry, genetics, and bioinformatics to discover and characterize new bioactive secondary metabolites from fungi.

Research Focus:
The research will involve identifying and expressing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from E. weberi in suitable host organisms, using advanced techniques such as heterologous expression. The resulting fungal extracts will be analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and promising compounds will be purified and structurally characterized via MS and NMR. Antimicrobial screening will be conducted to assess the potential of these compounds to combat resistant pathogens. The project also includes protein studies to elucidate the biosynthetic pathways involved in natural product assembly.

Training and Collaboration:
Students will gain hands-on experience in microbial fermentation, genetic engineering, natural product chemistry, protein purification, and bioinformatics. The project is a collaboration between Swansea University’s Department of Biosciences and the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, providing access to a broad range of expertise and facilities.

Funding:
This studentship is fully funded, offering a stipend of £19,237, a £16,000 Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG), and a £1,920 fieldwork budget. The SWBio DTP supports students from diverse backgrounds and can accommodate flexible working, part-time study, and reasonable project adaptations for those with caring responsibilities, disabilities, or other significant personal circumstances.

Eligibility:
Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or biotechnology. Experience in microbiology, molecular biology, or natural product chemistry is desirable. English language proficiency is required for non-native speakers. The program encourages applicants to discuss any required adaptations with the project supervisor.

Application Process:
Applications should be submitted online via the Swansea University postgraduate application portal. Required documents include academic transcripts, CV, and references. For more information and to apply, visit the official scholarship page linked above.