Engineering recombinant non-pathogenic bacteria to express antigens from pathogenic species for vaccine development

About the project

About the Project Bacterial infections pose major health challenges for humans and animals worldwide. The treatment of many such infections is becoming increasingly difficult due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. As a result, the development of prophylactic vaccines against these pathogens are urgently needed. In this project, we aim to develop recombinant non-pathogenic bacterial cells that express antigens derived from pathogenic species and utilize these engineered cells directly as vaccine candidates. Our initial focus will be on fish pathogens such as Vibro spp, which pose a serious threat to aquaculture and cause substantial economic losses. Fish are chosen for the initial phase because vaccine efficacy can be evaluated more readily in aquaculture systems than in humans. Once the feasibility of our vaccine design strategy is demonstrated in fish, we will extend our approach to an antibiotic-resistant human pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. The project will encompass antigen selection and structure-based design, gene cloning, antigen expression and characterization, vaccine formulation, and evaluation of immune response and protective efficacy. The vaccine efficacy study will be conducted in collaboration with fish farms in Singapore and research partners both locally and internationally. Criteria All applicants must possess at least four years of undergraduate study or three years of undergraduate study with a Masters degree. For Research Scholarships, candidates must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree with at least 2nd Class Upper Honours, or its equivalent. We consider an applicant's Grade Point Average (GPA) an important factor in assessing their suitability. As the medium of instruction at NUS is in English, applicants whose native tongue or medium of undergraduate instruction is not English, should submit TOEFL/IELTS (Academic Test) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English Language. The minimum TOEFL score is 580 (Paper-based Test), 260 (Computer-based Test) and 85 (Internet-based Test). The minimum IELTS score is 6. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit GRE (minimum score of 320 [Verbal+ Quantitative] and 3.5 [Analytical Writing]). You may apply via Graduate Admission Systems (GDA3) at https://gradapp.nus.edu.sg/apply . The next intake is for August 2027. Please apply from 16 May 2026 onwards. Please submit the required documents (transcript, TOEFL) via online before 15 November 2026 ((based on Singapore Time (SGT), UTC +8)). We highly encourage you to submit the required documents preferably before the end of October 2026. This will allow us to evaluate your dossier in advance and ensure a smoother process moving forward. Kindly prepare the following documents/item to upload in the application system: Singapore NRIC (for Singapore Citizens or Singapore PRs); Passport information page (for International applicants) Certified true copy of official Bachelor’s or Master’s transcript (with the grading scale provided) Certified true copy of official Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree certificate Other academic certificates (if applicable) Valid TOEFL/IELTS score Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not completely in English should upload the official score sheet of TOEFL (≥85) or IELTS (≥ 6.0) as evidence of their proficiency in the English language. TOEFL/ IELTS scores are valid for 2 years from the test date and should not have expired at point of application. Expired scores will not be considered for the application. A certified copy of GRE (Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit GRE) Two academic referee reports CV - A summary of your education, work experience, co-curricular activities, community service, etc. Personal Statement of around 2 pages. You may include your broad research interests, previous research accomplishments and personal vision of future career. Financial Statement or Sponsorship Letter (if you have opted for ‘Self-Finance’ at point of application) List of publication details: The number of papers you have published, Whether you are the first author or a co-author for each of your publications, Whether the journals are local, regional or international Passport size photograph following the specifications listed here Information on scholarships and financial aid is available at: https://nusgs.nus.edu.sg/scholarships/ https://nusgs.nus.edu.sg/financial-aid/ Go to 'Staffs', then ‘Faculty by Research” and you will be able to see the research areas of our academic staff. http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg Tuition Fee: https://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/administrative-policies-procedures/graduate/graduate-fees Department Code for GRE: https://www.science.nus.edu.sg/admissions/graduates/research-programmes/frequently-asked-questions/

Research areas