Alessia Buscaino

[4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD studentship including tuition fees paid directly to the university, a stipend of £21,805 (2026/27 rate), and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year.] PhD Studentship at the University of East Anglia in partnership with the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme (NRPDTP). This project asks a fundamental question in microbiology: how do fungi and bacteria communicate? The studentship will investigate cross-kingdom interactions between the human fungal commensal Candida albicans and the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum . The research is based in the Buscaino and Juge laboratories at the Quadram Institute and is designed to uncover how environmental conditions, microbial diversity and cell surface adhesins influence whether this interaction remains harmless or becomes associated with disease-relevant outcomes, including possible links to colorectal cancer. The project combines fungal genetics, bacterial biology, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and protein biochemistry/biophysics . Methods may include CRISPR genome editing, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, confocal microscopy, gut-on-chip models, and protein interaction assays . The studentship offers comprehensive training in experimental design, data analysis, scientific communication, and broader transferable skills including project management, teamwork, organisation, and engagement with both scientific and non-specialist audiences. As part of the NRPDTP , this is a 4-year fully funded PhD studentship for October 2027 entry. Funding includes payment of tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, and a Research Training Support Grant. The stated 2026/27 stipend rate is £21,805 , and the annual RTSG is £5,000 per year. All students also undertake a three-month professional internship placement (PIPS) during the programme, with support provided by the Professional Internship team. Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold at least a UK equivalent 2:1 Bachelor’s (Honours) degree and meet the English language requirement of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each category (Faculty of Science equivalent). Application and interview timeline: the deadline is 30 November 2026 . Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on 2, 3 and 4 February 2027 . Start date is 1 October 2027 . This opportunity is well suited to motivated students interested in microbiology, genetics, genomics, host–microbe interactions, or microbial evolution , and to those seeking interdisciplinary research training in a collaborative environment with access to state-of-the-art facilities and conference opportunities.