Rational design of novel bacteriophage cocktails to replace antibiotics in agriculture

The rise of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is one of the greatest challenges for human and animal health in the next two decades. Viruses of bacteria called phage, kill bacteria as part of their natural lifecycle and are potential novel antimicrobials of the future. To develop new phage-based antimicrobial products there is a need to understand the mechanisms of killing and devise technologies to discover new phage with the desired activity and characteristics.

This project will provide training in molecular microbiology, functional genomics screens and virology in the laboratories of Prof Rob Kingsley and Dr Evelien Adriaenssens at Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK and Dr Erik Vanderbeke from Huvepharma, a leading agriculture and veterinary pharmaceutical company.

Huvepharma will provide the opportunity for an extended period working within the company and an enhanced stipend for the duration of the project.