Doctoral student position (Preludium Bis project)

We are looking for a Ph.D. student to work and study at the Department of Bacterial Molecular Genetics, University of Gdansk in Poland. The doctoral  project, entitled “Deciphering elements of the global transcriptional network governing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation”, will be realised in international collaboration with Dr. Manuel Banzhaf (Newcastle University, currently University of Birmingham, UK). 

Project description

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ranked fifth as a cause of death among 7.7 million of fatalities due to bacterial infections noted worldwide in 2019. In addition, it is a leading agent in hospital-acquired infections, it often causes also difficult to treat infections of burn wounds and lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. 
One of the most important barriers to eradicate P. aeruginosa from the host organism is posed by formation of multicellular communities embedded in extracellular matrix, called biofilm. Within biofilm bacteria become protected from adverse conditions and evade the host immune system or antibiotic treatment. 
Biofilm formation is a complex process that involves transformation of bacterial physiology from planktonic to sessile lifestyle, and production of the extracellular matrix components. The global regulatory mechanisms governing biofilm development, like quorum sensing or c-di-GMP have been identified. However, a lot of genes that need to be activated or repressed to start and maintain the community are functionally grouped into a network of regulons and operons controlled by specific transcription factors (TFs). 
Almost one tenth of the large genome of P. aeruginosa encodes transcription factors while the function of many of them remains undiscovered. Using an unique systems approach we monitored biofilm morphology for an ordered P. aeruginosa transposon single deletion library over time. Among many novel genes that our data-set links to biofilm formation, we identified five TFs of interest that may play regulatory  roles in P. aeruginosa biofilm development. The function of three of them, of AraC family, has been completely undefined so far. We propose to study the role these five TFs in biofilm formation, their mechanism of action and interrelation with other cellular regulatory elements, as well as their relevance for P. aeruginosa virulence and antibiotic resistance.

What we offer:
-    4-years position in doctoral school at the University of Gdansk, including a stipend 5000 pln for the first 2 years (about 3800 pln after taxes) and 6000 pln for the next 2 years (about 4500 pln after taxes). 
-    Research realised in an international environment, including 6-months internship at Newcastle University in the UK, possibility to attend international conferences 

Requirements:
-    M.Sc. in microbiology, biochemistry or related fields
-    English – independent user level (B2)
-    Prior experimental work experience 

Applications: 
-    CV including academic record so far (publications, awards, internships, if applicable)
-     diploma scan
-     cover letter
 should be sent to Dr. Monika Glinkowska, e-mail: monika.glinkowska@ug.edu.pl. Application deadline: July 15th, 2023