Wilkinson

Swansea University is offering a fully funded PhD scholarship under the EPSRC and the Faculty of Science and Engineering, focusing on the interdisciplinary project “Patchy Sweet Bullets Against Bacteria.” This research lies at the intersection of polymer and glycochemistry, biomaterials, and antimicrobials, aiming to address the challenge of bacterial adhesion to surfaces—a key factor in infections, even among bacteria lacking adhesive lectins. The project’s objective is to engineer heterogeneous glycosystems with patchy attributes to selectively target diverse bacterial populations. The PhD student will gain expertise in polymer chemistry, glycochemistry, biomaterials, and microbiology, working with an interdisciplinary supervisory team: Bhatia (Expert in Chemistry), Loveridge (Specialist in Natural Products), and Professor Wilkinson (Authority in Microbiology). Training will include advanced characterization techniques such as SEM, AFM, and TEM, and efficacy assessment of engineered glycosystems against bacterial strains at the Institute of Life Sciences. Eligibility requires a UK bachelor’s degree with at least Upper Second-Class honours in chemistry or a related subject, or an equivalent overseas degree as recognized by UK ECCTIS. Alternatively, a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ in chemistry or a related subject (or equivalent) is accepted. English language proficiency evidence may be required. The scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate, as per UKCISA regulations. The scholarship provides full tuition fees, an annual stipend of £19,237, and additional research expenses. The application deadline is 19th June 2024. Interested candidates should prepare academic transcripts, a CV, and any required English proficiency evidence, and submit their application via the Swansea University postgraduate scholarships portal.