WR DTP project: The role of contact dependent inhibition in shaping bacterial interactions

In nature, bacteria live in mixed microbial communities. A multitude collaborative and competitive mechanisms drive the community composition and structure. Contact dependent inhibition (CDI) is a recently discovered system with well-studied molecular features, but its role and significance in nature remains poorly understood. CDI appears to play a role in competition but also in cooperation and coordination. In this project you will address this apparent contradiction, and work to understand how bacteria benefit from expressing CDI systems. This will be assessed by identifying features that are key to its activity to assess the impact of variable features on the resulting bacterial community.

In this interdisciplinary project you will build on our current knowledge of understanding of this enigmatic microbial system (Bottery et al. Current Biology 2019). We are seeking a computationally or mathematically skilled student with a desire to apply their knowledge to model biology, specifically microbiology. Experience in Python programming is desirable but not essential. An interest in acquiring some basic wet lab skills is desirable.

The graduate skills training you receive, in combination with lab meetings, seminars, conferences, and outreach activities will help you develop a broad range of scientific and transferable skills.

The White Rose DTP in Mechanistic Biology is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.