bacterial PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

All organisms respond to vibration, and bacteria are no exception. It is well established that external vibration can affect bacterial phenotypes, including surface adhesion, proliferation and virulence.

How cells transform cytosol-invading bacteria into anti-bacterial signalling platforms

Medical Research Council (Cambridge)
Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Dr F Randow

Application Deadline: 3 December 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The cytosol of mammalian cells appears an attractive niche for bacterial pathogens since it is rich in nutrients. However, perhaps surprisingly, most intracellular bacteria avoid the cytosol and rather reside inside membrane-surrounded vacuoles.

Identification of novel complement evasion mechanisms developed by bacterial pathogens

Lund University
CORVOS – COmplement Regulation & Variations in Opportunistic infectionS

Prof A Blom, Prof S Rooijakkers

Application Deadline: 10 November 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The project is focused on discovery of new complement evasion mechanisms developed by bacterial pathogens. One of the studied bacteria will be opportunistic Filifactor alocis, a recently identified periodontal pathogen of major importance but still poorly studied.

Biophysical modelling of bacterial cell wall architectures

University of Sheffield
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Dr B Chakrabarti

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Bacterial cell walls are examples of self-assembled composite structures that are formed out of equilibrium. In recent times the text book view of bacterial cell wall has been modified as a result of high resolution imaging studies[1, 2].

Bacterial chemical harpoons – how do TIE proteins function?

University of St Andrews
School of Biology

Research Group: Biomedical Sciences Research Centre

Dr U Schwarz-Linek

Application Deadline: 1 December 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

In order to colonise a host and cause infections, bacteria need to gain a foothold by adhering to tissues such as cell surfaces. In general this is achieved through specific interactions between proteins and multimeric protein assemblies (pili) presented on the bacterial surface, and host molecules.

Identification of colistin resistant gene, mcr-1, in clinical isolated Enterobacteriaceae and characterisation of pathogenicity and virulence of mcr-1 harboured bacterial pathogens

University of Bradford
Faculty of Life Sciences

Research Group: Chemistry and Biosciences

Dr C Chang, Dr J N Fletcher

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Globally, infectious disease accounts for more than 13 million deaths a year and is one of the main causes of death around the world, predominantly in developing countries.

The bacterial protein translocation machinery: a target for new strategies against antimicrobial resistance

University of Bristol
School of Biochemistry

Prof I Collinson

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major problem affecting millions of people across the world. This severely affects treatment of bacterial infections as strains are emerging that are totally resistant to all clinically used antibiotics.

Bacterial iron uptake pathways as targets for the development of novel antimicrobials

University of Sheffield
Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease

Dr M Thomas

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Antimicrobial resistance is an ever increasing problem. Presently it is estimated to be responsible for 700,000 deaths p.a. and it is predicted that this figure will rise to 10 million by 2050.

Chronic Wounds and Infection - impact on diabetic patients

University of Bradford
Faculty of Life Sciences

Research Group: Centre for Skin Sciences

Dr M J Thornton, Dr J N Fletcher

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Non-healing chronic wounds present a significant clinical challenge. In Europe, the cost of wound management accounts for 2%–4% of the health care budget and the complications associated with impaired wound healing can have a significant, long-term effect on the morbidity, mortality, and quality of life for patients.

How does the protein LicB underpin infection by opportunistic bacteria?

University of Bristol
School of Biochemistry

Dr P Curnow

Application Deadline: 25 November 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

The human body is colonized by trillions of bacteria. These are generally harmless but can become a serious threat to human health.