Postgraduate research opportunities Full MPhil Scholarship for Progression to Doctoral Study - Antimicrobial Peptoids & their Application towards Control of Biofilms
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Friday 5 December 2025
- Number of places: 1
- Duration: 12 and 48 Months
- Funding: Equipment costs, Home fee, Stipend, Travel costs
Overview
This MPhil science research project will contribute to developing unconventional approaches for controlling the antimicrobial activity of peptide-mimetic synthetic “peptoids” that target bacteria and the biofilms they form. The scholarships are targeted at students from either i) low-income household backgrounds or ii) Black categories of ethnicity. Successful completion of the MPhil will lead to a 4-year fully funded PhD scholarship on the same or related project.Eligibility
Applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
- Qualify for UK/Scottish home fees (see funding details).
- Meet at least one group criterion below set by external funder:*
- Be from a low-income household background, evidenced by, for example, being in receipt of a full maintenance loan or Special Support loan during their undergraduate studies, AND/OR
- Be from one of the following categories of ethnicity: Black African, Black Caribbean, Black Other, Mixed – White and Black Caribbean, Mixed – White and Black African, Other mixed Black background (including Black African, Black Caribbean and Black Other).
- Hold or expect to hold a university degree** at UK 2:1 level or above in a relevant discipline (see Project Details).
- Demonstrate experience in conducting an extended piece of technical work, e.g., placement, research/group/thesis project, professional employment, set of technical data analysis, etc.
**Applicants may enter the programme with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree EXCEPT for Strathclyde degree holders, who may only enter with a bachelor’s degree from Strathclyde (but may hold any other degree from a different institution).
Project Details
Course structure
This is a 1-year fully funded MPhil scholarship linked to a follow-on 4-year PhD scholarship. The scholarships cover the tuition fees, tax-free student stipend, and research costs for the entire 5-year research programme.
Topic of study
The overuse of antibiotics and their cumulative release into the environment and various waste streams, accidental or otherwise, have given rise to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Peptoids are structural isomers of natural peptides that can generate novel functionalities from a greatly expanded set of 200+ synthetic amino acids and resist degradation by enzymes naturally occurring in the body. They are conveniently synthesized via the same solid phase chemical approach as for preparing peptides by coupling one amino acid after another using standardized protocols into specific sequences.
The Lau group recently showed that the antimicrobial activities of peptoids can be enhanced by simple chain-end modifications. This project will expand this theme to tailor the balance between antimicrobial activity and mammalian toxicity. Secondly, molecular self-assembly and other processes will be investigated to temporarily sequester the peptoids’ antimicrobial activity until the peptoids are activated by an externally applied stimulus, e.g., light or sound.
The project is part of our new interdisciplinary Leverhulme Doctoral School in Nature-Inspired Acoustics (NIA), and the student will further collaborate with researchers from both chemistry and other departments, including Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Architecture.
Applicants will ordinarily enter the course with a bachelor’s (honours) degree but some applicants with a master’s degree may also be eligible (see Eligibility). Their degree discipline or work/professional experience should be relevant to the project, for example but not limited to, chemistry, engineering, physical science, biology, cell culture, materials science, nanotechnology, electronic devices, etc. Applicants should also demonstrate experience in conducting an extended piece of technical work, e.g., placement, research/group/thesis project, professional employment, set of technical data analysis, etc.
Apply as soon as possible—applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis starting January 31, 2026. After this date, email to inquire about the availability of the opportunity.
Funding details
Applicants must qualify for UK or Scottish Home Fees (e.g., as UK citizen or holding settled status).
International students who do not qualify or who do not have their own funding will not be considered.
Scholarships include full tuition at the home fees rate, a tax-free stipend (£20,780 per year for 2025/2026), and a £10,000 research budget for consumables and travel. The stipend may be revised to track the UKRI minimum stipend rate at the discretion of the project funder (The Leverhulme Trust).
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Supervisors
Primary supervisor
- Aaron Lau
Additional supervisors
- James Windmill
- Christopher McCormick
Apply
To apply, contact Dr Lau to check for eligibility and briefly explain your background and interest. Include the following information:
- Brief description of eligibility (see funding details);
- Brief explanation of what interests you in the project;
- Brief explanation of what has prepared you for an extended scientific investigation, e.g., academic achievement, overcoming barriers, placement, research, data analysis, group project, etc.;
- A CV
Once eligibility and a suitable interest are confirmed, candidates will receive further instructions on submitting a short formal application. Applicants successful at this initial stage will be invited to an online interview. Outcomes will be communicated by email in the week following the interview.
Apply as soon as possible—applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and will start Jan 31, 2026. Inquire about the availability of this scholarship if you wish to apply after this date.
Number of places: 1
To read how we process personal data, applicants can review our 'Privacy Notice for Student Applicants and Potential Applicants' on our Privacy notices' web page.
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Programme: Pure and Applied Chemistry