Higher Degree by Research Application Portal
| Title | Tackling bacteria head on: Investigating new therapeutic targets for treating important bacterial infections. |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | Dr Keith Stubbs |
| Course | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Keywords | Synthetic organic chemistry |
| Categories | Scholarship |
| Research area | Chemical Sciences |
| Project description |
The problem: The global rise in infections caused by “superbugs”, which are resistant to many of the antibiotics we have available to us, is a cause of great concern today. These concerns are important to clinicians who facing increasing challenges in prescribing successful antibiotic regimens to patients so that they can enjoy a high quality of life. As a result new approaches to treating resistant bacterial infections are urgently needed.
The project: We will investigate different classes of enzymes which are involved in bacterial virulence as potential therapeutic targets and we will synthesize novel inhibitors and develop enzymatic assays. These compounds will then be characterized and investigated to see their effects in reducing the lethality of pathogenic bacteria.
The PhD project will primarily involve synthetic chemistry but if you are interested you can broaden your knowledge and skills in the areas of biochemistry and microbiology. You will be a part of a multidisciplinary team working within the group and interacting closely with a network of world-class scientists. Training will be provided to the candidate in all aspects of the project.
The laboratory is a highly collaborative environment where researchers work to solve problems in synthetic chemistry and chemical biology. The laboratory enjoys extensive collaborations and researchers within the lab are provided with mentoring to aid their scientific development and enable them to realize their professional goals. |
| Opportunity status | Open |
| Open date | 28 Aug 2026 |
| Close date | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Funding source | Commonwealth Government |
| School | Graduate Research School |
| Contact | Professor Keith Stubbs (keith.stubbs@uwa.edu.au) |
| Specific project requirement | General UWA PhD entrance requirements can be found on the Future Students website. The level of experience required will depend on the project involved. |
| Additional information | 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. |
| Description | 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. Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s. |
| Duration | 4 years |