Funding: Self-Funded PhD Students Only
About the Project
- This project investigates how everyday non-antibiotic substances, including medicines, environmental toxins such as mycotoxins, and nicotine, may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Please note the start date for this project will be either January 2027 for UK students or April 2027 for international students
Background
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major global health challenges of this century, yet efforts to understand and tackle it have largely focused on the use and misuse of antibiotics. Growing evidence suggests that non-antibiotic substances encountered in medicines, the environment and everyday lifestyles may also influence how bacteria develop and spread resistance.
Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals, environmental toxins such as mycotoxins, and substances such as nicotine have been linked to increased mutation rates, biofilm formation, changes in multidrug efflux systems and the transfer of resistance genes between bacteria. Early research also suggests that exposure to these substances alongside antibiotics may further encourage the development of multidrug resistance.
However, much of the existing evidence examines these factors separately and has focused primarily on laboratory strains of E. coli. This PhD project will bring these potential AMR drivers together within a single experimental framework that more closely reflects real-world exposure. The researcher will investigate their individual, combined and potentially synergistic effects in clinically relevant Gram-negative bacteria, examining antibiotic susceptibility, mutation frequency, biofilm tolerance, efflux-mediated resistance and horizontal gene transfer.
By identifying how non-antibiotic exposures may contribute to resistance and the mechanisms involved, the project will generate evidence that can support future approaches to antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, and environmental AMR monitoring.
Entry Criteria
- Entry requirements (At least 2:1 honours degree in a relevant field)
- International students may also need to meet our English language requirements. Find out more about our entry requirements for international students.
How to Apply
To apply for this opportunity, please complete the Expression of Interest form by 30 November 2026 23:59. Following review, eligible candidates will be invited to submit a formal application and may then be shortlisted for interview.