PhD Studentship in NLR Signalling and Antibiotic Production in Bacteria

This 4-year PhD studentship at the John Innes Centre, University of East Anglia, investigates the functional diversity of bacterial nucleotide-binding and oligomerisation domain-like receptors (NLRs) in Streptomyces. The project combines computational data mining, structural modeling, and hands-on experimental biology to understand how NLRs regulate bacterial viability, phage immunity, and natural product synthesis. The successful candidate will receive interdisciplinary training in bioinformatics, molecular microbiology, and protein biochemistry. Candidates are expected to conduct rigorous research, publish findings, and engage in scientific outreach.

• Perform large-scale genome mining and structural modeling using computational tools such as AlphaFold and Foldseek.
• Execute experimental workflows including phenotyping, heterologous expression, and genetic engineering of multicellular bacteria.
• Investigate protein-protein interactions, catalytic assays, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.
• Deploy synthetic activation tools to trigger candidate NLRs and evaluate their impact on bacterial viability and antibiotic production.
• Prepare research manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at academic conferences.