Integrated mathematical modelling and experimental research into interactions between microorganisms

Our group aims to combine theoretical & experimental approaches to understand major problems in the ecology and evolution of microbes. We often compare well-mixed systems such as chemostats with spatially structured systems such as biofilms to work out the effect of spatial structure.

Current research in the group is focussed on the population dynamics of resistance plasmids in spatially structured systems such as biofilms and modelling the fate of antimicrobial resistance in environments such as dairy farms and urban water systems (ie sewage and sewage treatment). We study the fascinating bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a predator of other Gram-negative bacteria, as an alternative to the use of antibiotics. A related interest are the microbial communities living in human and animal guts (upstream of sewage). In order to study these systems, we are keen to develop microfluidics systems to study single cells and use mathematical models to predict community dynamics from these single cell level observations.

As a basis for such studies, we have been developing individual-based modelling software such as iDynoMiCS (individual-based Dynamics of Microbial Communities Simulator) and eGUT (electronic gut):

Past interests have been the evolution of metabolic division of labour, cell-cell communication and aging (damage segregation) versus damage repair in single celled organisms.

I am seeking a motivated PhD student who shares our vision that the future of biology lies in close integration of mathematical and experimental approaches since this will allow us to understand how the behaviour of complex systems emerges from the multitude of interactions of its parts.

If you are fascinated by the diversity and complexity of life, would like to work on important problems and could contribute either mathematical or experimental expertise (or of course preferably both) to strengthen a growing team of mostly friendly people based at the Centre for Computational Biology and the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham – please do apply. Your project can involve any of the above mentioned or related areas and can be tailored to your interests and experience.

Please see http://www.biosciences-labs.bham.ac.uk/kreftlab/jobs.html for current studentship and postdoc projects.

Please see http://www.biosciences-labs.bham.ac.uk/kreftlab/index.html for further information on our group and research interests (somewhat out of date).

Please see my Google Scholar page for an up to date publication list: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=hLRsYpsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

When contacting me (j.kreft at bham.ac.uk), please explain your motivation and research interest and whether you have mathematical and/or experimental expertise.

-----
The School of Biosciences offers a number of highly competitive UK Research Council (e.g. BBSRC, NERC, MRC) PhD studentships each year. Fully funded research council studentships are normally only available to UK nationals (or EU nationals resident in the UK) but part-funded studentships may be available to EU applicants resident outside of the UK. The deadline for applications for many research council studentships is 31 January each year but some deadlines may be earlier.

Each year we also have a few fully funded Darwin Trust Scholarships. These are provided by the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh and are for non-UK students wishing to undertake a PhD in the general area of Molecular Microbiology. The deadline for this highly competitive scheme is also 31 January each year.

For further funding details, please see the ‘Funding’ section.