Overview
Pneumonia remains one of the world’s most lethal infection syndromes. In 2021, two bacteria—Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus—were responsible for over 900,000 deaths globally, accounting for almost half of all pneumonia-related mortality. These pathogens therefore represent a critical unmet global health need, requiring urgent innovation in antibiotic discovery.
About this opportunity
We have discovered synthetic teixobactins (STexs), a new class of antibiotics with potent activity against resistant Gram-positive bacteria such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), without detectable resistance.
The overarching goal of this proposal is to evaluate a suite of synthetic teixobactins as potential treatments for pneumonia caused by drug resistant S. pneumoniae and MRSA. Previous studies have shown efficacy of STexs in mouse models of S. aureus keratitis and soft tissue infections.
This PhD project offers exceptional interdisciplinary training at the University of Liverpool within the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology. The student will join Dr Ishwar Singh’s Antimicrobial Drug-Discovery Group, internationally recognised for pioneering synthetic teixobactins—a new class of resistance-avoiding antibiotics targeting lethal infections such as MRSA and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
The project will provide comprehensive, targeted interdisciplinary training in antibiotic design, synthesis, and evaluation. The PhD student will design and synthesise novel teixobactin analogues, followed by in vitro microbiological and in vivo efficacy studies. They will gain core practical skills in solid-phase peptide synthesis and medicinal chemistry, undertake scale-up peptide manufacturing training during an industrial placement at Bachem UK, and receive advanced training in infection biology and animal models through collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute.
This studentship offers a rare opportunity to work at the medicinal chemistry–microbiology–translation interface, with hands-on research experience across academic, and industrial settings, preparing the student for diverse careers in antimicrobial discovery and development.
Broader Impact
Synthetic teixobactins could revolutionise treatment for sensitive and resistant pneumonia and reduce global deaths from AMR infections. The student will contribute directly to developing a new antibiotic platform while gaining visibility in the UK’s national AMR and translational-research networks.
Dr Singh’s work has been widely featured in the media:
- Revolutionary Thinking – The Biomedical Scientist (IBMS, 2022)
- Antibiotic could save millions of lives from superbugs – Sky News, 29 March 2022
- New killing mechanism discovered in game-changing antibiotic – University of Liverpool News, 2020
In 2025, the team won the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Technologies Competition (Health Category) for their synthetic teixobactin platform:
Benefits of being in the DiMeN DTP:
This project is part of the Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership (DiMeN DTP), a diverse community of PhD students across the North of England researching the major health problems facing the world today. Our partner institutions (Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, York and Sheffield) are internationally recognised as centres of research excellence and can offer you access to state-of-the-art facilities to deliver high impact research.
We are very proud of our student-centred ethos and committed to supporting you throughout your PhD. As part of the DTP, we offer bespoke training in key skills sought after in early career researchers, as well as opportunities to broaden your career horizons in a range of non-academic sectors.
Being funded by the MRC means you can access additional funding for research placements, training opportunities or internships in science policy, science communication and beyond.
Further information on the programme and instructions on how to apply, including a link to the application portal, can be found on our website https://www.dimen.org.uk/