About the Project
This project is being advertised as part of the Engineering Biology for Environmental Applications Doctoral Focal Award, led by Cranfield University. Further information can be found here. The project carries a UKRI TechExpert enhanced annual stipend of £31,805 (UKRI minimum (2026/27 £21, 805) plus TechExpert uplift of £10k) available to students with Home fee status.
A key driver of the current antimicrobial resistance crisis is the high levels of antibiotics contaminating our water, driving the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. In this project we aim to harness enzyme-based solutions in combination with engineered living materials (ELMs) to remove antimicrobial contamination from wastewater systems both locally and at the plant scale.
The contamination of water with antimicrobials is an emerging environmental and public health threat, as residues from pharmaceutical use, agriculture, and healthcare settings enter water systems and contribute to the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment. There is a growing recognition that the selection and maintenance of antibiotic resistance genes within the environment is a key driver of the current antibiotic resistance crisis. There are some solutions that can be effective at removing these contaminants such as oxidation-based treatments, however these solutions can often result in the production of intermediate metabolites that are sometimes more potent or more stable than the parent antimicrobial. Other limitations include the high energy demands and high operational costs which means oxidation-based approaches are cost prohibitive particularly in resource limited settings. In this proposal, we aim to harness enzyme-based solutions with engineered living materials (ELMs) to remove antimicrobial contamination from wastewater systems both locally and at the plant scale.
Objective 1: Enzyme Engineering: We will modify a range of different antimicrobial degrading enzymes to enhance their efficacy, solubility, thermotolerance and stability with support from AI company Kuano. We will evaluate the ability of these enzymes to function when immobilized and as part of a mixed reaction. Semi targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry will enable the determination of the parent antibiotic and its subsequent transformation products produced by the enzymes.
Objective 2: Immobilizing antimicrobial degrading enzymes on ELMs: We will utilize covalent bonding approaches to fuse engineered enzymes of interest with biotic materials in collaboration with CarbonCell. We will then evaluate the capacity of this material to sense, grow, self-repair, and ultimately degrade antimicrobials over time. We will also explore abiotic immobilization methodologies and compare their performance to our ELMs. Each system will undergo several Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycles to improve efficiency.
Objective 3: Integrating engineering systems into model waste management systems: Here we will explore a range of different approaches to integrate our ELM into hospital waste management systems either directly at the source of contamination (toilet) or at the point where the hospital waste system joins the public sewer system. We will create laboratory-based models of both scenarios and evaluate performance over time.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Ronan McCarthy, Professor of Microbial Biofilms, University of Southampton.
This project is offered by University of Southampton. Due to funding restrictions, this project is only open to students eligible for Home rate fees.
For further information about this project, please contact Prof Ronan McCarthy at: Ronan.McCarthy@soton.ac.uk
This project offers a highly interdisciplinary training environment spanning AI, protein modelling, biofilm engineering, synthetic biology, environmental biotechnology, and industrial translation. Through collaboration with partners such as Kuano and Carbon Cell, researchers will gain both academic and industry-relevant skills. This will include a 12-week research placement with Carbon Cell where the student will work on this specific project but also contribute to the wider research programme of Carbon Cell gaining vital first hand experience in key commercial considerations when developing disruptive solutions.
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or higher in a relevant subject.
See international equivalent qualifications on our website. English language: IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. We accept other English language tests.
How to apply
Please apply via the online portal
• Programme type: Research
• Academic year: 2026/27
• If you will be full time or part time
• Faculty: Environmental and Life Sciences
Search for programme Engineering Biology for Environmental Applications (9744)
Please add the name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application.
Applications should include:
• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts/ certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)
Please ensure that you provide all required documentation and information so that your application can be reviewed and processed.
You are encouraged to contact potential supervisors by email to discuss project-specific aspects of the proposed prior to submitting your application. If you have any general questions please contact Doctoralcollege-admssions@soton.ac.uk.
Deadline – Monday 20th July
Interviews due to take place wc 27th July.
Funding Notes
Further information can be found here. The project carries a UKRI TechExpert enhanced annual stipend of £31,805 (UKRI minimum (2026/27 £21, 805) plus TechExpert uplift of £10k) available to students with Home fee status.
