PhD studentship in Chemical Engineering - Quantification of Oral Bacteria Metabolism for Mathematical Rediction of Abiotic Effects on Kinetics and Microbiome Interactions

Award summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £17,668 (2022-23 UKRI rate), plus an additional contribution of £4,000 from Unilever).

Overview

We are looking for an ambitious research student to work with us on an exciting project: understanding the human microbiome. This work will contribute to the evaluation of products’ safety, as part of the safe by design Unilever products policy.

Direct experimentation on microbiome can be successfully mimicked in biofilm bioreactors or by appropriate modelling. This project will combine these two approaches for the oral microbiome. The objective is to develop a dynamic mathematical approach considering abiotic factors and metabolism in a well-defined microbiome and calibrate the models with experimental measurements. The student will develop high-quality quantitative metabolic models for oral biofilm species and a dynamic mathematical model to include the effect of pH and oxygen availability on metabolism/kinetics. This will enable the prediction of interactions between bacteria in a community and the assessment of factors affecting microbiome composition and temporal changes. The final goal is to integrate this approach in an individual based model developed for the invasion of the pathogen S. mutans into biofilms.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 18^th September 2023

Award duration: 4 years

Sponsor

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Industrial partner: Unilever.

Supervisors

Dr. Dana Ofiţeru, School of Engineering

Prof. Nicholas Jakubovics, School of Dental Sciences

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant subject or subject relevant to the proposed PhD project ((bio)chemical engineering, biotechnology, microbiology, or a related subject). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8030F
• Research Area: Chemical Engineering
• Select ‘PhD Chemical Engineering (full-time) as the programme of study 

 You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  
• The studentship code ENG109 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• When prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert – and provide your own statement. 

Contact details

For further details, please contact:

Dr. Dana Ofiteru, dana.ofiteru@ncl.ac.uk

Prof. Nicholas Jakubovics, nick.jakubovics@ncl.ac.uk

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