Key Information
- Duration: Full-time, 36 months
- Start date: October 2027
- Application deadline: Apply before Jun 2027 (International) This is an estimated deadline. The deadline is applicable to students from outside the European Economic Area who want to study within the EEA, or to students who want to study outside the EEA but are not nationals of that country.
Overview
Production of antimicrobial resistant spores by C. difficile and their dispersal in the environment facilitates the transmission of Clostridiodes difficile associated disease, especially in healthcare environments.
The spores are resistant to common disinfectants and biocides, thus allowing them to withstand hospital cleaning regimes. If instead, a spore can be induced to germinate, it will be more sensitive to common antimicrobials and it may be readily eliminated by common disinfectants and biocides. Certain bile acids and co-germinants are known to initiate spore germination. It is hypothesised that a suitable surface-anchored bile acid derivative might be able to initiate germination in C. difficile spores. If this could be combined with an antimicrobial component, then there would be the possibility for a spore germination-extermination dual-action material that could potentially be deployed as antimicrobial surfaces in the clinical environment. Visit the programme website for more information
Therefore, the aim of this Surfaces for the elimination of Clostridiodes Difficile Spores course at Aston University is to produce surfaces with attached bioactive entities that are able to initiate germination of C. difficile spores, and which also have general wide-spectrum antimicrobial properties.
Career prospects
Studying a PhD is great route into academia and industries that are centred on research and innovation. Areas with a demand for very high level and specialised research skills often demand PhDs.
In addition to this specialist knowledge, PhD education will help you to develop a set of valuable transferrable skills. The very nature of studying an intensive research degree will enable you to become a team player, develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and advanced presentation and communication skills.
The variety of PhD project topics at Aston means that the destinations of our graduates vary substantially. Some choose to continue into academia, at either Aston or other leading institutions, while others go onto use their newly acquired skills in a range of research, healthcare, industry or charitable fields. When selecting your chosen PhD path at Aston, your supervisor will be able to provide you with relevant career opportunities that could be available to you in your specialist area.
Programme Structure
- To obtain additional information about the programme, we kindly suggest that you visit the programme website, where you can find further details and relevant resources.
Check out the full curriculum
Admission Requirements
Academic requirements
Upper Second Class
English requirements
- TOEFL iBT: 93 (or 4.5 on the new 1-6 scale; CEFR-aligned, equivalent to the 0-120 score)
- PTE Academic: 67
- IELTS: 6.5
Other requirements
General requirements
- A Bachelors degree in a relevant subject with an award of First Class or 2.1.
- OR a Bachelors degree in a relevant subject with an award of First Class or 2.1, and a Masters degree in a relevant subject with an award of Merit or higher.
Essential criteria
- Good Coding Skill and willing to evolve them along the journey.
- Basics on IP networking
Make sure you meet all requirements
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International (non-residents): 43,360 AUD / year (≈ 22,950 GBP / year) International tuition fees apply to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the study country. In some regions, like the EU/EEA, or under certain agreements, students from partner countries may also pay domestic fees.
- Domestic (citizens or residents): 9,896 AUD / year (≈ 5,238 GBP / year)
Living costs
Birmingham, United Kingdom: 1,445-2,142 AUD / month. The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
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