Funded PhD in Synthetic Biology and Microbiome Biosensing at Imperial College London Imperial College London in United Kingdom

Funded PhD opportunity in the Riglar Lab at Imperial College London for a project on engineered gut microbes as non-invasive biosensors of inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

The research sits in the Section for Structural and Synthetic Biology within the Department of Infectious Disease, with affiliations to the Imperial College Centre for Engineering Biology and The Francis Crick Institute. The project focuses on synthetic biology, engineering biology, biosensing, microbiome research, gut disease, host-microbiome interactions, and acoustic reporter genes that can be detected by ultrasound.

This is a 3-year fully funded PhD studentship. Funding covers UK home tuition fees and includes a UKRI-level stipend of £23,805 per annum from 1 Oct 2026. International applicants may also be eligible, but must be able to cover the difference between home and international fee rates at the time of application.

Eligibility: applicants should have or expect to gain a First or Upper Second-class undergraduate degree in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Cell Biology, or a related field. A Master's degree is desirable but not required. Relevant laboratory experience will be considered. Applicants must meet Imperial College’s English language requirements. Experience or willingness to work with rodent models is desirable but not essential.

How to apply: send a CV, a covering letter describing your suitability and interest in the project and lab, and the details of two referees to Dr David Riglar by 10 July 2026. More information is available on the project page.

The lab emphasizes an inclusive research environment and encourages applications from women and other underrepresented groups in academic research.