Identifying novel antimicrobials to target gut and food pathogens (NARBADF15TEAGASC)

Background
The current rise in antibiotic resistance has coincided with a decrease in discovery and production of new antibiotics. Although research has identified new promising antimicrobials, many have difficulty with stability and activity in complex environments like the gut or food matrices. This project will use bacterial isolates, derived from human gut and food backgrounds, which have demonstrated antimicrobial activity to test the hypothesis that mining bacteria from the same niche as the pathogen will identify novel antimicrobials which are uniquely suited to act in this niche.
The study will use microbiology, in vitro colon culture, next generation sequencing, molecular biology and protein biochemistry to identify and characterise novel antimicrobials and assess their activity against important pathogens in gut and food matrix environments. This Walsh Fellow project will benefit from extensive experience and related projects on the discovery and application of novel antimicrobials.

Teagasc Food Research Centre (TFRC), Moorepark, part of Teagasc – the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority - undertakes public scientific research and provides technological services to the food industry with emphasis on functional foods, dairy, food ingredients and formulated foods and beverages. The programme consists of fundamental and applied research, technology transfer, industrial consultancy and training under the overall umbrella of an innovation management strategy.

The work will be carried out in collaboration with Institute of Food Research (IFR), Norwich, UK and University College Cork (UCC) in collaboration with Prof Colin Hill and Prof Paul Ross. The PhD student will be based in TFRC Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland but spend up to half of the project at IFR, Norwich, UK. The PhD will be awarded by the University of East Anglia, UK.

Teagasc supervisor: Dr Paul Cotter , Food Biosciences, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark (TFRCM), Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland Phone +353 (0)25 42694,email: [Email Address Removed]

Academic supervisor: Dr Arjan Narbad, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, NR4 7UA, UK Phone +44 (0)1603 255131, email: [Email Address Removed]

Qualification required:
Applicants should have a good primary degree (First or Upper Second Class Honours) in an appropriate discipline (Microbiology, Biology, Biochemistry, etc.). The successful candidate should be highly self-motivated and capable of independent thinking with an aptitude for laboratory work and a strong interest in science.

For further information and to apply, please visit the ’How to Apply’ page on our website:
http://students.ifr.ac.uk/how-to-apply/