MSc (Res) Opportunity – Clp Proteases Control Infection and Lifecycle Decisions in Staphylococcus aureus Phages
Project Title:
Clp Proteases Control Infection and Lifecycle Decisions in Staphylococcus aureus Phages
Supervisor(s):
Primary Supervisor: Dr Andreas Haag (University of St Andrews, School of Medicine)
Secondary Supervisor: Dr Jaclyn Pearson (University of St Andrews, School of Medicine)
Deadline:
Tuesday 19 May 2026
Project Description:
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and play a major role in bacterial evolution, virulence, and gene transfer. In the important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, many phages integrate into the bacterial chromosome and remain dormant as prophages before later reactivating to produce new viral particles. Understanding how phages interact with their bacterial hosts is therefore central to understanding bacterial pathogenicity and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
This MSc project will investigate how bacterial Clp proteases influence infection and lifecycle decisions in S. aureus bacteriophages. Preliminary work in the Haag laboratory has revealed an unexpected observation: several phages show altered infection behaviour when infecting S. aureus mutants lacking specific Clp proteases. In some cases, phages appear unable to form plaques on these mutants, suggesting that host proteostasis systems may play an important role in phage infection or development.
The student will use a combination of microbiological and molecular approaches to investigate this phenomenon. Experiments will include bacteriophage propagation, plaque assays, infection experiments, molecular cloning for complementation analysis, and assays to measure lysogen formation and prophage induction.
The project will compare infection behaviour of different classes of staphylococcal phages and determine whether host Clp proteases influence productive infection, lysogen formation, or induction of dormant prophages. The work will contribute to a better understanding of how bacterial physiology shapes bacteriophage biology.
This project is suitable for students interested in microbiology, molecular genetics, or host–pathogen interactions. The student will gain training in experimental design, bacteriophage techniques, quantitative microbiology, and scientific communication while contributing to an active research programme investigating bacteriophage biology and bacterial mobile genetic elements.
School of Medicine Research Division:
Funding Details:
The home fee for this opportunity is funded. Please see the university website for fee information.
How to Apply:
If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please submit your application via the University’s online portal.
Please make sure your application is complete by Tuesday 19 May 2026.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants should normally hold, or expect to obtain, a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
- Part time study for this project would be considered.
Contact:
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to Sandra Fleming at [email protected].