PhD Studentship: PhD Opportunity Title PhD in Complex Living Systems - Understanding Bacillus Spores Germination via microfluidics-based single-cell microscopy

The University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute is inviting applications for a PhD studentship titled “Understanding Bacillus Spores Germination via microfluidics-based single-cell microscopy”.

This PhD studentship is fully funded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in partnership with the University of Exeter Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and will commence on 21 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £22,442 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the Living Systems Institute in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the Streatham Campus in Exeter.

This fully funded PhD studentship will focus on the investigation of the processes that allow germination of Bacillus anthracis spores.

Bacillus anthracis spores cause environmental contamination challenges, primarily due to their considerable resistance to therapeutic intervention and conventional decontamination agents (Setlow Microbiology Spectrum 2:10.1128, 2014). Their dormant state allows for prolonged survival, rendering remediation efforts difficult and costly (Barua et al. Infection and Immunity 77:23, 2008).

This proposed fully funded PhD project aims to employ microfluidics-based microscopy to visualise the germination process and understand the mechanisms that allow B. anthracis spore germination after an initial optimisation phase carried out using Bacillus thuringiensis.

Microfluidics, a rapidly evolving technology, offers precision and control over cellular microenvironments, enabling real-time, single-cell analysis of biological processes. This technology is not restricted by the limitations of traditional bulk assays, which can obscure heterogeneity within spore populations (Bamford et al. BMC Biology 15:121, 2017).

By determining the mechanisms that make B. anthracis spores germinate, this project will open the way for transforming highly resistant spores into a vulnerable state, making them susceptible to inactivation. Therefore, this project will develop and validate innovative treatments and decontamination strategies that are more effective, less toxic, and environmentally sound.

This project is particularly suitable for candidates with a degree in Biological Sciences and expertise in Microbiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry or Biotechnology. Expertise in culturing and handling bacteria would be particularly valuable. Previous experiences in using microscopy or microfluidics would also be helpful.

This position is only open to UK nationals. The successful applicant will need to obtain clearance from Dstl to work on the project.

This project will provide the student with highly interdisciplinary training and expertise which will be very valuable for their future career. Supervision will be provided by Prof Stefano Pagliara and Dr Remy Chait, at the University of Exeter with expertise in microbiology, microscopy and microfluidics (e.g. Lapinska et al eLife, 11: e74062, 2022; Chait et al. Nature Communications, 8:1535, 2017) and by Dr Phil Ireland and Dr Graham Christie at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and at the University of Cambridge with expertise in Bacillus anthracis and the biology of spore germination (Li et al. mBio e00108, 2026).

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