PhD Global Excellence and Mobility Scholarship (GEMS 2027). Decoding the climate–resistance link: spectral and transcriptomic responses of resistant and sensitive E. coli to environmental stress

About the project

About the Project Climate change is intensifying the environmental stresses bacteria face, and rising temperatures are increasingly linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This project examines how climate-relevant stressors reshape resistant versus sensitive Escherichia coli. In the first phase, E. coli will be isolated and characterised from stool samples collected from consenting volunteers, yielding matched resistant and sensitive strains. These will be exposed to controlled climate-relevant stressors, elevated temperature, with vibrational spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR and Raman) tracking the evolving biochemical fingerprint and matched RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) resolving the underlying transcriptomics. To capture in vivo-like infection conditions, the Galleria mellonella larval model, well established in Dr Tan's lab, will be used at elevated temperatures to examine how climate stressors alter bacterial responses and virulence, again profiled by spectroscopy and RNA-seq. Integrating these layers will reveal whether resistance alters stress adaptation and whether warming modulates virulence, thereby informing AMR mechanisms, host–pathogen dynamics, and potentially rapid diagnostics. Selection Criteria Essential Criteria Academic Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree requiring at least four years of full-time study with First Class Honours (H1) or a Master’s degree by research (H2A equivalent or CGPA ≥ 3.50) in Microbiology, Genomics, Biochemistry, or a closely related discipline from a recognized university. English Language Proficiency: Meets Monash Graduate Education English Language Proficiency requirements (e.g., IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 with no individual band below 6.0, or TOEFL/PTE equivalent). Preferred Criteria Genomics & Bioinformatics: Demonstrated experience with processing/ analyzing microbial genomic data. Spectral Chemistry (Advantage): Prior experience with analytical spectroscopy, with specific advantages in ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier-Transform Infrared) or Raman spectroscopy. For enquiries, please contact Dr Patrick Tan Hock Siew For more information about this project, please visit our GEMS website. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Apply When you apply for admission into your preferred degree program you will be able to select your scholarship type. No separate application is required. By clicking on a course , you will be directed to further information, including details on ‘How to Apply’. However, before applying for a GEMS, it is recommended that you first contact the main supervisor for this GEMS research topic. Please provide details of your academic background and achievements to the supervisor so that they can assess your suitability for the GEMS research topic you are interested in. Main Supervisor (Malaysia): Dr Patrick Tan Hock Siew Associate Supervisor (Malaysia): Dr Foo Su Chern Associate Supervisor (Australia): Prof. Anton Peleg , Dr Kamila Kochan

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