We are currently recruiting 2 PhD students for October 2026 entry, as part of a BBSRC-funded Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award. Please get in touch if interested and apply via the links below.
Note: Due to funding requirements, these positions are open to candidates eligible for UK Home fees only.
PhD Project 1
Oral Microbial Metabolism in the Entero-Salivary Nitrate Pathway
The oral microbiome plays a central role in the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway, linking dietary nitrate metabolism to oral ecology and systemic physiology. However, in polymicrobial biofilms nitrate-derived intermediates may be diverted into alternative nitrogen pathways depending on microbial interactions and environmental context. The mechanisms governing this metabolic branching remain poorly understood.
This project will combine ex vivo oral biofilm models, systematic microbial co-culture screens, stable isotope tracing and multi-omics approaches (metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) to identify how microbial interactions and environmental factors such as oxygen, pH and nutrient availability influence nitrate metabolism.
The student will receive interdisciplinary training in:
• Oral biofilm modelling
• Anaerobic microbiology
• Stable isotope probing and metabolic flux analysis
• Multi-omics data integration and systems biology
Students benefit from a 4-year tax-free London-weighted UKRI stipend plus £3,000 annual industry uplift, cross-institutional training, and specialist isotope training at the University of Glasgow.
Applicants should have a strong background in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, chemistry, or related disciplines.
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/mechanisms-of-microbiome-modulation-in-the-entero-salivary-nitrate-pathway/?p194985
PhD Project 2
Oral–Systemic Links: Periodontal Microbes and the Blood–Brain Barrier
Large population studies link periodontitis with cognitive decline and dementia, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that metabolites produced by periodontal pathogens, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, may directly affect vascular and neurological function. This interdisciplinary project will combine microbial–endothelial co-culture models, transcriptomics, molecular and cellular assays, and human microbiome and metabolomic data integration to identify pathways through which oral microbial metabolites influence BBB function.
The student will:
• Investigate how microbial metabolites affect endothelial signalling and BBB integrity
• Apply RNA-seq, immunohistochemistry and targeted pathway inhibition approaches
• Integrate clinical microbiome, metabolomic and immune datasets
• Test functional effects of human serum on BBB models
The studentship provides a 4-year tax-free London-weighted UKRI stipend plus £3,000 annual industry uplift, interdisciplinary training and opportunities to work at the interface of microbiology, neuroscience, vascular biology and clinical research.
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/oral-systemic-links-periodontal-microbes-and-the-blood-brain-barrier/?p194988