PhD in Microbiology in UK | PhD in medical microbiology | PhD in environmental microbiology

I am currently part of the supervisory team for the following PhD projects

- Studying in vivo protein-protein interaction involved in colicin’s entry and activity in Escherichia coli cells using in-cell NMR

- Eco-friendly functionalisation of cellulose-based textiles with antimicrobial nanoparticles

I have supervised the following PhD projects to completion as lead or secondary/tertiary supervisor

- Elucidation of mechanisms required for the pathogenesis of Proteus mirabilis in the catheterized urinary tract through large scale random transposon mutagenesis

- Bacteriophages as a potential treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa mediated chest infections in cystic fibrosis patients

- Antimicrobial bioadhesive polymer complexes for the oral cavity

I am interested in further projects in the areas of biofilms, antimicrobial nanomaterials, bacteriophage therapy, alternative antimicrobial strategies.

I currently supervise Ph.D. students who work at the interface between biochemistry and microbiology. Current Ph.D. students in the group are involved in studies of the protein-protein interactions involved in the activity of bacterial colicins in Escherichia coli and the use of Next Generation Sequencing approaches for the analysis of changes in the fungal and bacterial microbiota of the mammalian gut in response to stressors.

I also have interests in mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics, the development of novel antimicrobial agents and the use of proteomics and biological mass spectrometry for the study of microbial stress responses.

I am always happy to hear from enthusiastic and motivated individuals. Please contact me if you wish to discuss a potential PhD project in any of these or related areas.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the area of ecotoxicology/marine biology:  pollutants impact on marine organisms, biomarkers of stress in aquatic invertebrates, microplastics as vector for marine pollutants, transgenerational effects of aquatic pollutants.  

I am interested in supervising Masters and PhD students in the following areas: microbiology, healthcare, antibiotics, antimicrobials, bacteriophages, quorum-sensing, biofilms, water pollution, drinking water, waste water, zoonoses, environmental microbiology.

I'm keen to supervise postgraduate research (MRes/MPhil/PhDs) in the following areas: development and application of low-cost and/or rapid diagnostic water quality tools; behaviour of micro-contaminants (particularly bacteriophages from the human gut) within natural and engineered environments environments and provision of water and sanitation within low-income and/or emergency settings.

To date I have overseen the supervision, career development and successful completion of 12 doctoral students from the UK, Italy, Portugal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil and India. These PhD's have covered a range of topics such as 'Bacteriophages as Surrogates of Viral Pathogens in Wastewater Treatment Systems (Dias 2016)', Ecological Characteristics of the Enterococcal Surface Protein (esp) gene with reference to microbial source tracking (Yaliwal 2014); Low-cost physico-chemical disinfection of human excreta in emergency settings (Sozzi 2015); Bacteriophages as Indicators of Human Enteric Viruses in Mussels (Da Silva 2013); and UV Radiation Response of Bacteriophages of Human-specific Bacteroides (Diston, 2010) .

I am currently supervising a water industry-funded PhD student who is using cutting-edge source apportionment approaches to investigate drivers of pollution in Chichester, Langstone and Pagham harbours (S. England) and have just finished supervising a PhD on Pollution, plastics and plumes; understanding the behaviour of microplastics in aquatic sediments of the R. Thames catchment.

According to French Physiologist Claude Bernard - "The science of life is a superb and dazzlingly lighted hall which may be reached only by passing through a long and ghastly kitchen." Anyone who has undertaken a doctoral degree is likely to agree with this analogy (at least at some point during their journey). As a PhD supervisor, I see my role as someone who can potentially make the kitchen a little less ghastly, or the journey slightly less arduous. I strive to provide a highly connected, supportive, nurturing international research environment with the Environment and Public Health Research and Enterprise Group.

I am currently supervising a further 3 PhD candidates. My PhD students have originated from an equally diverse range of disciplines including Fisheries Engineering, Environmental Science, Biology, Biomolecular Science, Microbiology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Mathematics and have worked for NGO’s in Haiti (MSF), on Gates Foundation-funded research in India, on US AID-funded research into safe excreta disposal in emergencies (Cholera and Ebola treatment centres), led MRC-funded projects in Kenya, founded research groups in Brazil, and managed prestigious research laboratories in the US.

All have gone on to forge careers within the burgeoning field of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and or microbiology, either via academia, or industry. The sustained success of our thriving research group stems from a blend of enthusiasm for the wider subject area and from a long-held desire to break down barriers, to ensure that epidemiologists mix with engineers, and microbiologists work with modellers. This has been achieved by exchanging PhD students (and Early Career Researchers) with trusted and established international project collaborators within the public, private and voluntary sectors.

I also maintain a rolling programme of group activities, training initiatives and social events for new arrivals into the group, which is increasingly populated by previous PhD students who are even better placed to support the career aspirations of our current and future Doctoral students. With unsafe water supply and sanitation responsible for an estimated 842,000 deaths per year, the WASH sector continues to face significant challenges, which are only likely to be met through interdisciplinary, cross-border collaboration by a new generation of WASH-focussed researchers, capable of confidently sharing ideas across a range scientific domains and via an increasingly complex network of stakeholders and end-users. I hope that as my students continue to emerge into the ‘dazzlingly lighted hall’ they are as well-rounded and well-placed as possible to meet this challenge.   

I supervise doctoral and MRes students broadly in the field of Water Recycling/Reuse which often have a focus in advancing treatment technology and/or a regulatory focus. A student may well select to focus on wastewater treatment or potable treatment processes whilst gaining a holistic understanding of the water treatment cycle. I enjoy supervising projects which have real-life applications and guiding students to develop research skills that are applicable for their future careers.

My supervisory interests are:

• Development of composite electrodes for bioanalytical monitoring;
• Exploring the signalling mechanisms of the bowel and bladder epithelium
• Development of innovative e-learning tools

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students (MRes and PhD) in the field of water quality assessment and management, with a focus on catchment management, risk assessment, microbial source tracking and apportionment, pathogen transport and survival, pathogen removal efficiency in water and wastewater treatment, water quality mapping and modelling and regulation. Examples of projects i am currently supervising include; 

Bioaccumulation and synergistic effects of chronic pesticide pollution on aquatic organisms – impact on the community structure

Development and optimisation of a pollutant source apportionment approach, utilising cutting-edge source tracking tools

Investigating the causes of environmental degradation in coastal ecosystems and evaluating restoration potential

Containing, characterising, catchment contaminants – Reducing risk at drinking water reservoirs

Developing a rapid assessment tool for salt marsh restoration based upon the integration of in-situ and remote sensing data using machine learning algorithms

Evaluation of Sussex kelps potential for carbon sequestration

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: micro-plastics, tri-trophic interactions, field population dynamics, pollination ecology & biodiversity in the urban landscape.

Current PhD

currently none

Previous PhD

Niall Walkden (2019) Attitudes and perceptions of South African residents towards native vertebrate scavengers

Amanda Flint (2018) A temporal and spatial analysis of species co-occurrence patterns within a chalk heath community

Ute Vogler (2009) “The impact of transgenic apples on multitrophic interactions”

Johanna Häckermann (2007) “Biological elimination of Cydia molesta infestations from the orchard as a key component of an environmental friendly control”

Edward Connor (2007) “The plant’s contribution in guiding beneficial insectd to the site of caterpillar damage by chemical signalling”

Gudio Velten (2006) “Food chain legumes: combining natural resources for safe storage and favourable food processing”

Nadia Scaschighini (2004) “From the behavioural to the molecular level in insect-plant interactions: attraction of parasitic wasps by herbivore-induced plant chemical signals”

Previous MRes

Jo Middelton (2017) Ecological determinants of Lyme borreliosis risk in the South Downs National Park and the potential for one-health based interventions.

Sophie Bracken (2016) An evaluation of how a range of UK green roofs vary in terms of floral diversity and associated pollinator diversity.

Aaron White (2015) Agricultural influences on moth communities and their composition in ancient semi-natural woodlands and conifer plantations: Potential implications for management and native broadleaf re-establishment

Joanne Carnell (2015) Pollinator conservation and the value of domestic urban gardens.

Markus Jaskari (2013) Factors influencing pollination success of the Burnt Orchid Neotinea ustulata.

Robert Fowler (2011) Does pollen quality influence the floral acceptance and foraging effectiveness of bumblesbees.

Previous MSc

Severin Roffler (2006) Does the nesting material of Megachilidae bees contain antimicrobial substances? (joint MSc thesis in collaboration with Dr. M. Müller)

Susanne Brand (2005) Influence of chemical emissions of codling moth infested apples on Hyssopus pallidus.

Nayuta Brand (2004) Host location of Dinarmus basalis – the role of chemical cues emitted from beans.

Antonia Zurbuchen (2004 / 2005) Host location behaviour of Dinarmus basalis.

Johanna Häckermann (2003) The effect of seasonal variation in volatile emission from apples on the behaviour of the parasitoid Hyssopus pallidus.

Fatma Lüthi-Kivrak (2002 / 2003) Simulation of caterpillar feeding behaviour and analysis of artificially induced phytochemicals.

I have the privilege of supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students from diverse backgrounds, including biologists, biomedical scientists, bioengineers, pharmaceutical and clinical professionals. I'm particularly interested in supervising research related to the study of inflammatory responses in chronic and acute wound healing processes, the role of the cell microenvironment in the development of pathological mechanical stress and inflammatory insults leading to nerve inflammation and back pain in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, investigating macrophage polarization in healing and non-healing processes associated with different diseases, the use of biomaterials for cell scaffolding and in-vitro models, the role of mechanobiology in tissue degeneration (such as intervertebral disc, varicose vein, vascular malformation, etc.), development of theranostic wound dressings, wound healing process (e.g., biomarkers, signalling pathways), primary stem cell isolation and culturing for stem cell therapy and clinical trials of advanced therapies for cardiovascular disease. Any interdisciplinary projects across the listed areas are particularly interesting and welcome.

My supervisory interests include new and low-cost approaches for treatment and assessment of drinking and bathing waters, wastewater and faecal sludge. I am also interested in supervising projects related to the use of bivalve shellfish, as a tool to assess environmental pollution in estuarine and marine environments. Nutrient pollution and eutrophication of water sources is another topic that is within the scope of my supervisory interests.

I am happy to collaborate in projects and supervise post-graduate students in the broad field of medical and pharmaceutical microbiology, with a particular emphasis for projects involving clinically-relevant fungi and involving other healthcare-associated and non-academic industrial partners.