PhD Studentship - Developing CRISPR-Cas Antimicrobials to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance Spread in Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Overview

The University of Exeter is offering a PhD studentship on developing CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials to tackle the spread of antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae, based at the Environment and Sustainability Institute on the Penryn Campus. The project is one of those competing for a place among up to 18 MRC-funded studentships offered through the GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme across biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2027.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to human health, driven largely by plasmids, mobile pieces of DNA that help resistance genes spread between bacteria. In this project the student will develop new tools based on CRISPR-Cas to stop the spread of resistance-carrying plasmids in the important pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proof-of-concept work shows this is theoretically possible, but challenges remain in working out what drives plasmid competition. The interdisciplinary project combines microbiology, genomics and synthetic biology to address one of the most urgent challenges in infectious disease, with training in leading-edge approaches and real-world impact.

Who can apply

The four-year studentships are open to UK and international students.

What you get

The studentship covers UK tuition fees and a doctoral stipend matching the UK Research Council national minimum, £21,805 per year for 2026/27, updated each year. Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per year is also available.

How to apply

Applications are made through the university's online application route.

Key dates

The closing date is 21 October 2026, and the studentship starts in October 2027.