biofilm PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

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.

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the ‘GW4 BioMed MRC Doctoral Training Partnership’ which is offering up to 18 studentships for entry in September 2020.

Structural and time-resolved studies of phage replication in bacterial biofilm

Masaryk University
CEITEC

Dr P Plevka

Application Deadline: 31 October 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.

When Staphylococcus aureus cells form a biofilm in the human body they become shielded from the immune system and highly resistant to antibiotics.

New antimicrobial agents for biofilm-related infections

Queensland University of Technology
School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering

Dr K Fairfull-Smith

Applications accepted all year round

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 adhesion of bacteria to surfaces and their subsequent ability to aggregate into colonies called biofilms is a significant problem in healthcare systems around the world.

Biofilm Engineering for Healthcare Applications

University of Sheffield
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering

Dr AF Taylor, Dr E Karunakaran

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.

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms bound to surfaces by a layer of glue-like extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). They can be found virtually everywhere, from water pipes and food packaging to medical devices and human tissues.

Novel methods of Biofilm prevention and removal Project ID SAS0044

Edinburgh Napier University
School of Applied Sciences

Prof I Singleton, Dr N Wheelhouse

Application Deadline: 30 November 2019

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.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION. Microbial biofilms cause significant issues in a variety of commercial, medical and environmental scenarios.

Regulation of virulence and biofilm formation by quorum sensing and the "stress alarmone" ppGpp in gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

University of Cambridge
Department of Biochemistry

Dr M Welch

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding

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 supervisor does not yet know if funding is available for this project, or they intend to apply for external funding once a suitable candidate is selected. Applications are welcome - please see project details for further information.

We are investigating the complex interplay between cell-cell signalling (quorum sensing), microbial lifestyle (i.e., free-living planktonic cultures vs sessile biofilm communities), growth phase and virulence in gram-negative bacteria.

NERC GW4+ DTP studentship: Understanding the fate and potential impact of nano-plastics in freshwater organisms and ecosystems

Cardiff University
Cardiff School of Biosciences

Prof I Durance, Prof P Borri

Application Deadline: 6 January 2020

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.

There is a growing realisation that the widespread use and degradation of plastics has created a legacy of plastic pollution. Mass balance studies have suggested that a large proportion of release plastics waste may now be present as micro- nano-scale particles.

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.

Pyocins as alternatives to antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections

University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences

Dr C Penfold

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.

Pyocins are bacteriocins produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to kill closely related strains of the same species during times of environmental stress.

Adapt or die? Understanding how bacterial bioflms evolve under stress (WEBBERQ20DTP)

Quadram Institute Bioscience
Graduate Programme

Dr M Webber

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.

Most bacteria in nature exist within a biofilm; a community of aggregated cells. Biofilms are important in many industrial contexts and most bacterial infections include biofilms.