PhD Position: Discovery and characterization of novel prophages within human gut microbiome

A PhD position is available to work with A/Prof. Jeremy J Barr at Monash University, School of Biological Sciences, in Melbourne, Australia. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic PhD student with an interest in microbiology to start in 2024. The successful candidate will be fully funded for 3.5 years with an annual tax-free stipend of approximately $32,000 AUD, which includes tuition and medical cover. Both Australian/NZ domestic and international students are eligible to apply. To learn more, visit thebarrlab.org

Project details

The human gut microbiome consists of highly abundant and diverse microorganisms, along with the viruses that infect them. Gut bacterial viruses–known as bacteriophages–are known to shape the gut microbial community to impact both health and disease states. Prophages, which are resident temperate phage integrated within the bacterial genome, are particularly abundant and can constitute up to of 20% of the host genome. Recent work from our lab (Dahlman et al., bioRxiv 2023, doi:10.1101/2023.08.17.553642) has revealed that temperate gut phages are prevalent, diverse, yet predominantly inactive. As such, the identity, function, and activity of these prophages remains poorly understood.

This PhD project will lead experimental and bioinformatic work to discovery novel temperate phages within human gut bacterial isolates. We will then characterize the genomes, molecular biology, and in vitro activity of temperate phages along with their respective bacterial hosts. This project is highly interdisciplinary and the successful applicant will develop and apply skills in microbiology, bioinformatics, sequencing, anaerobic assays, and molecular techniques.

Monash and the School of Biological Sciences

Monash University is a member of Australia’s Group of Eight coalition and is internationally recognized for excellence in research and teaching. The School of Biological Sciences is a dynamic unit with strengths in ecology, genetics, evolutionary biology, and microbiology. The university is in Melbourne, Australia, which has been named as the world’s third most liveable city.

How to apply

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with High Distinction grades (more information can be found here). Further, applicants are required to have completed minimum of three-months full time research (or equivalent). The ideal applicant will have experience in microbiology and genetics or bioinformatics.

To apply, please send a CV, academic transcript, and a brief outline of your research experiences and interest in the position to jeremy.barr@monash.edu. All applicants will be reviewed. You will only be contacted if you short-listed for the position.