PhD Studentship: Virome Dynamics and Viral Discovery in Rehabilitated Bats Revealed by Longitudinal Metagenomics

Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students

Funding amount:  Fully-funded ARIES studentship covering Home fees, maintenance stipend (£21,805 p.a. for 2026-27) and a research training and support grant (£2,500). Limited number of studentships available for international applicants, with the difference between ‘Home’ and ‘International’ fees being waived by the registering university. ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK.

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time

Closes: 16 December 2026

Background

Bats play important ecological roles in insect control and ecosystem functioning, yet many enter wildlife rehabilitation following injury, starvation or environmental disturbance. Rehabilitation provides a unique opportunity to investigate how viral communities respond to changes in diet, environment and physiological condition. Our recent shotgun metagenomic study of wild and rehabilitated insectivorous bats revealed extensive viral diversity, including thousands of viral operational taxonomic units and potentially novel viruses. However, because these data were cross-sectional, we do not know how the virome of individual bats changes during rehabilitation.

The project

This project will provide a longitudinal view of virome dynamics during bat rehabilitation. Working with the West Yorkshire Bat Group, the PGR will collect non-invasive faecal samples from individual bats at admission, during rehabilitation and before release. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing will characterise viral diversity and enable viral genome discovery and reconstruction. Bioinformatic and ecological analyses will investigate how viral communities change through time and their relationships with host species, diet, rehabilitation duration, physiological condition and the gut microbiome.

The PGR will receive interdisciplinary training in wildlife ecology, molecular methods, shotgun metagenomics, viral genomics, bioinformatics and quantitative analysis. Specialist computational and sequencing training will be provided through the Quadram Institute, while the West Yorkshire Bat Group will provide experience in wildlife rehabilitation, sampling and conservation practice. Training will also include reproducible computational research, data management and scientific communication.

For queries about the studentship, please contact the Supervisor, Dr Efstathios Giotis, at e.giotis@essex.ac.uk.

Person specification

We seek an enthusiastic individual interested in viruses, genomics, ecology and wildlife conservation. Applicants from biological, ecological or computational backgrounds are encouraged. Previous molecular or computational experience is desirable but not essential, as project-specific training will be provided.

Acceptable first degree subject(s): Biology; Ecology; Microbiology; Genetics; Bioinformatics; Zoology

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