University of Warwick Microbiology PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr H Schaefer, Dr Y Chen, Dr D Kumaresan

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. Investigate the organic sulfur cycle of a closed cave ecosystem based on chemosynthesis. Apply stable isotope and metagenomics approaches to characterise uncultivated bacteria.

Circadian rhythms in plant-microbe interactions

Prof G Bending, Dr I A Carré

Application Deadline: 12 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.

Plants live in close association with complex communities of microbes which together constitute their ‘microbiome’. The microbiome interacts with the plant in numerous ways; some microbes are beneficial and promote plant growth, while others are pathogens which reduce crop yields.

Floaters vs. sinkers: How do marine phytoplankton combat the biological pump?

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr R Puxty, Prof D J Scanlan

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. Uncover the “genetic dark matter” responsible for maintaining buoyancy in marine phytoplankton. Test how abiotic and biotic stress impact buoyancy traits of marine phytoplankton.

Global diversity and ecosystem functions of plant-microbe symbioses

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Prof G Bending, Dr C Quince

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. We have discovered a previously unknown and abundant plant- mycorrhizal symbiosis with global distribution.

Microbial sunscreens for better life

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr V Stavros, Dr C Corre

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. · To develop novel biosynthetic procedures for producing environment-friendly UV sunscreens. · To characterise UV sunscreens with state-of-the-art analytical (laser based) techniques.

Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) Funded PhD Studentships

Funded PhD Programme (European/UK Students Only)

Funding Type

PhD Type

4 Year PhD Programme

4 Year PhD Programmes are extended PhD opportunities that involve more training and preparation. You will usually complete taught courses in your first year (sometimes equivalent to a Masters in your subject) before choosing and proposing your research project. You will then research and submit your thesis in the normal way.

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. It is available to citizens of a number of European countries (including the UK). In most cases this will include all EU nationals. However full funding may not be available to all applicants and you should read the full programme details for further information.

The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) is a BBSRC-funded doctoral training partnership between five research-intensive universities.

Resilience of soil surface microbial communities and their ecosystem functions to extreme weather

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Prof G Bending, Dr R Mushinski

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. Biological soil communities (BSC) at the soil surface perform vital ecosystem functions, including C and N fixation, and protection of the soil surface from erosion.

Smelly sediment dwellers – identifying microbial populations driving DMSO reduction in anoxic sediments

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr H Schaefer, Dr K Purdy, Dr Y Chen

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. Identify uncharacterised microbes driving anaerobic organic matter degradation. Master a wide range of cutting-edge environmental microbiology techniques.

Transport of climate active trace gases between the atmosphere and biosphere

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Prof R Kerr

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Overview. Soils both produce and degrade/consume trace volatile gases, as such they are a critical component of global cycling for all greenhouse and climate affecting gases.

Understanding the genetic blueprint of photosynthetic bacteria?

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr R Puxty, Prof D J Scanlan

Application Deadline: 10 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.

Project Highlights. Cutting-edge 3D chromosome reconstruction and “gene transplants” using CRISPR. Understanding the evolution of chromosomes of photosynthetic organisms.