Bacteriology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for Non-European Students in the UK

A Bacteriology PhD provides you with the chance to undertake an extended research project into bacteria. This could be focused on antibiotic development, understanding the pathogenicity of a species, or developing novel diagnostic tests. Bacteriology tends to be laboratory-based, but there are bioinformatic projects out there, mostly analysing pre-existing data on antibiotic resistance.

What’s it like to do a PhD in Bacteriology?

Doing a PhD in Bacteriology, you’ll likely spend most of your time in the laboratory, developing excellent practical skills, particularly in microscopy and aseptic technique. You’ll also spend time reading around your research area to find the gaps in the literature you hope to fill, and to learn new methods.

Some typical research topics in Bacteriology include:

• Development of novel antibacterials
• Evaluating current antibiotic use
• Mapping antibiotic resistance
• Understanding host-pathogen interactions
• Evaluating methods of infection diagnosis

Most Bacteriology PhD programmes are advertised projects that are fully-funded through the university or a doctoral training programme. The scope of the project is determined by the supervisor before advertising, but you can mould the project as you go.

It is possible to propose your own project to a supervisor, but this is uncommon as the supervisor must have interests that strongly link to your project, have suitable equipment and you’ll have to find a way of funding your bench fees.

Day-to-day you’ll be planning and carrying out experiments, analysing and drawing graphs from previous data, and chatting about your methods and results with your supervisor. Your PhD will end with an original thesis of around 60,000 words and a viva exam, allowing you to defend your work.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for most Bacteriology PhD programmes involve a Masters in a subject directly related to Biology, with some experience in microbiology, at Merit or Distinction level. If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need to show that you have the right level of language proficiency.

PhD in Bacteriology funding options

The Research Council responsible for funding Bacteriology PhDs in the UK is the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). They provide fully-funded studentships including a stipend for living costs, a consumables budget for bench fees and a tuition fee waiver. Students don’t apply directly to the BBSRC, you apply for advertised projects with this funding attached.

It’s uncommon for Bacteriology PhD students to be ‘self-funded’ due to the additional bench fees. However, if you were planning to fund yourself it might be achievable (depending on your project) through the UK government’s PhD loan and part-time work.