PhD Studentship: Cracking the Chain of Command in Multidrug Efflux Evolution

Are you passionate about understanding antibiotic resistance at the molecular level? Join Professor Mark Webber and Dr Gemma Langridge at the Quadram Institute Bioscience for a cutting-edge PhD project exploring how bacteria evolve multidrug resistance.

Bacteria carry multiple efflux pumps, yet only a few dominate resistance in clinical isolates. Why this is the case is unclear. This project will investigate the hierarchy of multidrug efflux systems in E. coli and beyond, testing whether this hierarchy is condition-dependent and alterable.

Using a massive transposon library of 800,000+ mutants, you'll map fitness impacts across diverse conditions—anaerobic growth, biofilms, serum, and more. You'll explore how pump removal reshapes resistance hierarchies and separate functional from regulatory costs.

You'll gain expert training in microbial evolution, genetics, transposon mutagenesis, and bioinformatics. You will be based within the state-of-the-art Quadram Institute building located on the Norwich Research Park, which host the Centre for Microbial Interactions, a vibrant research community of over 100 microbiology research groups. The project offers a wide range of opportunities for training and personal development in a world class environment.

This project is awarded with a 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD DTP studentship. The studentship includes payment of tuition fees (directly to the University), a stipend to cover living expenses (2026/27 stipend rate: £21,805, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000pa for each year of the studentship.

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