Isolation and Characterisation of bacteriophages for tackling antimicrobial resistant infections in the oral cavity

About the project

About the Project The control of bacterial infections continues to rely heavily on antibiotics and is threatened by rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that causes over a million annual deaths globally. While solutions such as antibiotic discovery and rapid diagnostics are vital, there is growing interest in alternative therapies. Phage therapy addresses the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance with a completely different way of treating multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections: Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses and natural predators of bacteria. They infect and replicate within target bacterial cells with high levels of specificity, and kill the bacteria by lysis, releasing an amplified dose of fresh phage progeny. As the most abundant organism on earth, phages thus represent an immense biotechnological resource with the potential to transform healthcare through application as precision anti-bacterial therapeutics. Oral infections such as periodontitis and dental abscesses are a major burden on healthcare, affecting 3.69 billion people globally 1 . It has been estimated that 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions are related with dental infections, which are commonly caused by an imbalance in the oral microbiome. Tooth decay and gum disease commonly feature a dominance of certain bacteria in the mouth, including Streptococci , Fusobacteria , Actinomyces , Parvimonas , and Porphyromonas spp., which are increasingly resistant to antibiotics and antiseptics. There is thus an unmet need for sustainable, microbiome therapies to manage oral infections and restore a healthy balance. Phage therapy offers targeted bacterial killing activity without harming the host microbiota, making it ideal for applications in oral health, where antiseptics like chlorhexidine disrupt the entire microbial ecosystem and contribute to dysbiosis. However, little is known about the bacteriophages that inhabit and target oral pathogens. This project aims to explore, characterise, and formulate a bacteriophage-based mouthwash capable of selectively targeting oral pathogens We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated candidate to take on an ambitious research project that will help us to explore the idea of a targeted bacteriophage treatment to protect against dental caries and periodontal disease. The work will form the early stages of the research and will involve isolation and characterisation of bacteriophages from pooled waste collected during routine dental procedures. The goal is to identify and characterise a range of phages that have effective killing activity against keystone dental pathogens while preserving the beneficial oral microbiota. These could be developed into a cocktail to treat oral infections, such as gingivitis, periodontitis and dental abscesses, without damaging the host oral microbiome. This could be a promising future therapy for tackling multidrug-resistant oral infections, reducing antibiotic and oral disinfectant use, and prolonging the efficacy of our working antibiotics. This project is linked to ongoing work at the Universities of Liverpool and Limerick and will include collaboration with Prof Jo Fothergill, Assoc. Prof Tina Joshi and ICE dental hospital. 1 GBD 2021 Oral Disorders Collaborators (2025). Trends in the global, regional, and national burden of oral conditions from 1990 to 2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet . 405(10482):897-910. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02811-3. Supervisor profiles: Chloe James (Lead Supervisor) https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/person/1166816/chloe-james Joe Latimer (Co-supervisor) https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/person/1169451/joe-latimer Jo Fothergill (External – University of Liverpool) Professor Jo Fothergill | Our people | University of Liverpool Tina Joshi (External – University of Limerick) (33) Tina Lovleen Joshi PhD, SFHEA, FIBMS, FRSB | LinkedIn Funding Notes: To inquire about University of Salford funding schemes – including the Widening Participation Scholarship – visit this website: https://www.salford.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/fees Applications: Please use this Research Proposal, Personal statement, and CV guide when preparing an application: https://issuu.com/universityofsalford2/docs/seeresearchproposalpersonalstatementcvguid?fr=xKAE9zU1NQ

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