Back to search results

PhD Studentship : Plasmids as AMR Vectors

University of Exeter - Biosciences

Qualification Type: PhD
Location: Exeter
Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students
Funding amount: £19,237
Hours: Full Time, Part Time
Placed On: 11th September 2024
Closes: 4th November 2024
Reference: 5265

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and 'team science'. The DTP already has over 90 studentships over 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 58 students over 3 cohorts in its second phase.

Project Information

Research Theme: Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance & Repair

Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising to dangerously high levels causing a global health crisis. To develop strategies to combat AMR, we need to know how AMR genes are spreading. Plasmids as ubiquitous mobile genetic elements are key players of AMR spread. Antibiotics make carry AMR plasmids beneficial to their bacterial hosts and therefore drive plasmid prevalence and evolution. This project will investigate the evolution of highly transmissible AMR plasmids that can spread resistance within and between microbiomes. This will be done by targeted experiments and investigations of complex microbiomes using plasmid genomics and network analysis.

Project Description: The widespread use of antibiotics in clinical and agricultural settings has resulted in the rapid evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance causing a major health crisis (1). Bacteria can gain resistance to antibiotics through mutations or by taking up resistance genes (2). Plasmids play a key role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes (3) because of their ability to transfer between different bacteria (4). The range of different bacterial hosts that plasmids interact with, i.e. plasmid generalism, is therefore crucial for the spread of AMR. There is evidence that antibiotic pressure can enhance plasmid generalism and this may not only facilitate the spread of the AMR genes under selection, but also may allow additional AMR genes to hitchhike along with the generalist plasmids (5). This could then lead to the spread of multi-drug resistant plasmids throughout microbial communities and, more worryingly, between environmental, agricultural and clinical microbiomes, a threat acknowledged in the OneHealth concept (2). AMR plasmid spread could be mitigated if plasmid generalism is a transient effect, reducing when antibiotic selection is lowered. However, it is unclear if this is the case. Plasmids can evolve incredibly quickly (6), and continued exposure to multiple hosts may lead to the evolution of plasmids that are even more successful at transmitting within microbiomes (7). Exposure to even a single antibiotic may lead to the evolution of plasmids that are highly infectious vectors of AMR genes in general. This project aims to determine how plasmids become transmissible AMR vectors. It will be experimentally tested how environmentally relevant antibiotic exposure regimes shape plasmid generalism and determine the molecular/functional changes on the plasmid. The project will further investigate the spread of AMR plasmids in complex communities (host-plasmid networks) and to pathogens combined with theoretical modelling.  

We value your feedback on the quality of our adverts. If you have a comment to make about the overall quality of this advert, or its categorisation then please send us your feedback
Advert information

Type / Role:

Subject Area(s):

Location(s):

PhD tools
 

PhD Alert Created

Job Alert Created

Your PhD alert has been successfully created for this search.

Your job alert has been successfully created for this search.

Ok Ok

PhD Alert Created

Job Alert Created

Your PhD alert has been successfully created for this search.

Your job alert has been successfully created for this search.

Manage your job alerts Manage your job alerts

Account Verification Missing

In order to create multiple job alerts, you must first verify your email address to complete your account creation

Request verification email Request verification email

jobs.ac.uk Account Required

In order to create multiple alerts, you must create a jobs.ac.uk jobseeker account

Create Account Create Account

Alert Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your account is currently blocked. Please login to unblock your account.

Email Address Blocked

We received a delivery failure message when attempting to send you an email and therefore your email address has been blocked. You will not receive job alerts until your email address is unblocked. To do so, please choose from one of the two options below.

Max Alerts Reached

A maximum of 5 Job Alerts can be created against your account. Please remove an existing alert in order to create this new Job Alert

Manage your job alerts Manage your job alerts

Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your alert was not created at this time. Please try again.

Ok Ok

Create PhD Alert

Create Job Alert

When you create this PhD alert we will email you a selection of PhDs matching your criteria.When you create this job alert we will email you a selection of jobs matching your criteria. Our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy apply to this service. Any personal data you provide in setting up this alert is processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice

Create PhD Alert

Create Job Alert

When you create this PhD alert we will email you a selection of PhDs matching your criteria.When you create this job alert we will email you a selection of jobs matching your criteria. Our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy apply to this service. Any personal data you provide in setting up this alert is processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice

 
 
 
More PhDs from University of Exeter

Show all PhDs for this organisation …

More PhDs like this
Join in and follow us

Browser Upgrade Recommended

jobs.ac.uk has been optimised for the latest browsers.

For the best user experience, we recommend viewing jobs.ac.uk on one of the following:

Google Chrome Firefox Microsoft Edge