University of Birmingham – Department of Chemical Engineering
Qualification PhD
Place Birmingham
For UK and International Students
Issue Date 13th Feb 2025
Last Date 31st May 2025
Most bacteria in nature live in groups called biofilms. These biofilms stick to solid surfaces and are covered by a protective layer they produce themselves. Biofilms are much harder to kill with antibiotics or chemicals and are very difficult to remove. Because of this, they cause big problems, such as about 80% of infections, clogging pipes, and making ships use more fuel. The cost of biofilms is estimated to be around $4,000 billion per year, along with serious health and social effects.
Biofilms form in five steps: first, bacteria attach loosely to a surface; then they stick firmly; next, they grow and form small colonies; after that, they mature into a full biofilm; and finally, some bacteria break away to spread elsewhere. This process is controlled by signals from the environment, special proteins, and chemical messengers like cyclic di-GMP. However, scientists still do not fully understand how this works, even in well-studied bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Key questions include:
- How is primary adhesion of bacteria to solid surfaces mediated?
- How do bacteria sense surface attachment and switch from a planktonic to a sessile (attached) physiology?
- How do sessile bacteria coordinate synthesis of polysaccharides and other matrix components?
This project is a multidisciplinary partnership involving Overton, an expert on microbiology of biofilms and single cell analysis, and Bassett, an expert on soft materials in tissue engineering and biomaterials. Candidates are encouraged to get in touch with the lead supervisor, Dr David Bassett (d.c.bassett@bham.ac.uk), to discuss the project before applying.