PhD-Intraspecies Interactions In the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis
PhD @University of Dundee posted 2 days agoJob Description
- Funding – self-funded/externally sponsored applicants (PhD Fees can be found here)
- Applications are accepted year round
- Standard Entry dates – January and September
- Applicants are expected to have a degree (equivalent of Honours or Masters) in a relevant discipline.
The need to distinguish self from non-self is a requirement spanning the kingdoms from bacteria to plants and humans. Many microbes are highly clonal and frequently restrict cooperative behaviours to their clonal isogenic counterparts (kin). This behaviour means that sophisticated systems of detecting kin and/or responding to non-kin have evolved. As intraspecies competition is a driver of evolutionary change, and a fundamental force that influences community structure during infection and commensal situations, understanding the mechanisms of intraspecies competition is essential to our future ability to engineer and control microbial communities across a myriad of applications.
Bacillus subtilis is ubiquitous in the environment and plays many important industrial roles, including the production of enzymes, such as amylases and proteases. Furthermore, it has become widely applied as a live biological agent in i) microbial cleaning products, ii) probiotics used to promote animal and human health, and iii) biofertilizers and biopesticides used in agriculture. These applications make B. subtilis a pioneering example of efforts to functionally manipulate existing microbial communities. When Bacillus sp. are deployed as live biological agents, the spores contained in the product need to germinate and survive encounters with diverse microbes already in the receiving environment. These microbes will invariably include different B. subtilis strains given its ubiquitous nature. Competition between the existing and introduced strains of the same species is important in determining the success of occupying a niche. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of intraspecies competition is critical to ensuring the efficacy of live microbial products.
Given that we are only starting to catalogue B. subtilis strain diversity, there are large gaps in our understanding of how genomic differences drive competitive dynamics during intraspecies interactions. This PhD will explore this topic and will allow the student to develop skills in molecular microbiology, imaging and other scientific processes as directed by the needs of the experiments.
In addition to developing your technical scientific skills and associated data analysis strategies, you will have the chance to develop communication skills through presentations and events engaging with members of the public. You could use the opportunity to develop project management skills and line management through the co-supervision of undergraduate students.
Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research. We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.
How to apply
Please contact the principal project supervisor to discuss your interest further, see supervisor details below.
For general enquiries, contact SLS-PhDAdmin@dundee.ac.uk
