Join a project focusing on the resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC) drugs, which are used to treat serious bacterial infections such as those caused by Enterobacteriaceae, a large family of Gram-negative bacteria which includes pathogens such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Resistance to ESCs in Enterobacteriaceae, including through extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), is a major challenge for public health worldwide. The international presence of ESC resistance in almost every ecological niche and biological compartment, including humans and other animals, makes it an ideal target to study the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This project involves a combination of approaches, including whole genome sequencing (WGS), to identify major transmission pathways of ESC resistance between bacteria, between host species, and between countries.

This project involves working with collaborators in Canada, Germany, France and the UK, both in academic institutions and at national surveillance/reference laboratories. Bacteria from their collections have already been sequenced to contribute to a dataset of >2,500 genomes ready for analysis by the post-holder. These genomic data, along with the associated epidemiological metadata, provides an incredible opportunity to address key questions in this field, including the relative importance of animals to the burden of AMR in humans.

Quadram Institute Bioscience provides a vibrant and exciting setting composed of multiple research teams working on microbial genomics, molecular epidemiology, microbial communities and food science. We offer the chance to work with world leading, cutting edge technologies both in IT and computational biology and give you the opportunity to broaden your skills using open source technologies within a bioinformatics context. You will gain experience of working with Big Data, cloud computing, and have the opportunity to publish excellent science in leading peer-reviewed journals.