Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

The bacteria colonizing the human nasopharynx play a key role in maintaining respiratory health. We have identified several interactions between key bacterial members of the microbiome in this niche. This project will aim to discover the mechanisms underlying these interactions, by identifying the relevant molecules and their targets. This work will involve bacterial culture and co-culture, proteomic and metabolomic studies, targeted and untargeted bacterial mutagenesis, bacterial genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis and cell culture infection studies. The work aims to identify live biotherapeutic candidates to improve respiratory health of children.

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council

Western Australian Department of Health

Channel 7 Telethon Trust

Mark.Nicol@uwa.edu.au

Honours, Masters or equivalent in microbiology
Experience working with live bacterial culture

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

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