PhD Studentship: How do fungi and bacteria communicate? Decoding the rules of cross-kingdom microbial interactions

Overview

This four-year PhD studentship investigates how fungi and bacteria communicate, focusing specifically on cross-kingdom interactions between the human fungal commensal Candida albicans and the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum. Based at the Quadram Institute Bioscience within the University of East Anglia, the research explores how environmental conditions, cell surface adhesins, and microbial diversity shape these interactions and their implications for human health and diseases such as colorectal cancer.

Who can apply

Applicants must hold at least a UK equivalent Bachelors Honours 2:1 degree. Candidates must also meet the English Language requirement, which corresponds to the Faculty of Science equivalent of an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 6 in each category. The programme aims to be accessible to underrepresented groups through bespoke templates for applicant Personal and Research statements. Selection for admission is conducted without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, or social background.

What you get

The studentship is fully funded through the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership for October 2027 entry and includes coverage of university tuition fees. It provides an annual stipend to cover living expenses, set at a rate of £21,805 per annum, along with a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year. Students also complete a mandatory three-month professional internship placement and receive comprehensive training in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication within an interdisciplinary research environment.

Requirements

Students undertake a 4-year PhD research project using cutting-edge approaches such as CRISPR genome editing, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, confocal microscopy, gut-on-chip models, and protein interaction assays. Participants must use specific bespoke templates provided on the programme website for the Personal and Research statement sections of their application.

Key dates

The application closing date is 2026-11-30. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of February 2027. The programme starts on 1 October 2027.