Exponential mutagenesis for antibiotic discovery (WAINQ18DART)

This collaborative project will explore and develop novel methods for high throughput identification of antibiotic pathways in bacteria. The student will use a combination of molecular microbiology, synthetic biology and bioinformatics to develop novel approaches for transposon mutagenesis and identification of new antibcterial compounds from bacteria.

The student will work for 33 months in the state-of-the-art laboratories of the new Quadram Institute alongside world class biological research scientists and with access to methods for next generation sequencing. The wider team is a supportive group of microbiologists, bioinformaticians and sequencing experts that has close links to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and organisations across the Norwich Research Park.

A 3 month placement at the antibiotic discovery company Bactevo Ltd will provide the student with an opportunity to test the developed methods at a company with a range of specialist technologies for high throughput screening and evaluation of antimicrobial candidates.

Students will benefit from collaborative training with the Norwich Research Park Doctoral Training Programme, as well as a breadth of training possibilities across UEA and Norwich Research Park partners.

Through collaboration with a non-academic partner, iCASE students will spend 3-18 months on a placement with the partner company. Through this placement, students gain access to training, facilities and expertise not available in an academic setting alone, significantly enhancing future employability.

Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility requirements as specified by MRC, as well as the entry requirements for UEA postgraduate research degrees.