The SynBiomics Group at the University of Minho (Portugal) is recruiting a PhD student to join our team under the supervision of Lígia Rodrigues, with co-supervision from Débora Ferreira and Joana L. Rodrigues.
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4343963896/
About the project
The selected PhD student will work on developing aptamer-based diagnostic systems for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major ESKAPE pathogen notorious for its antibiotic resistance.
Gain hands-on experience in:
- Constructing heterologous Escherichia coli strains expressing adhesins;
- Applying cell-SELEX;
- Developing and characterizing electrochemical aptasensors;
- Testing diagnostic performance using clinical isolates.
About the network
This position is part of the European Doctoral Network StraDiVarious (Strains, Diagnostics and Variants) (www.stradivarious.eu), a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Network uniting academic and industrial partners across Europe to design rapid, strain-specific diagnostics for emerging bacterial threats.
We are looking for a motivated and curious Master’s graduate in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or a related field (degree must be completed before enrollment). Experience in aptamers, electrochemistry, or microfluidics is an advantage, but above all we value enthusiasm for applied science and diagnostics development.
Join our international and interdisciplinary research environment at the CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, and benefit from cross-sector training and mobility opportunities within the StraDiVarious Network.
Application period: 12 November 2025 – 6 January 2026 (23:59 Lisbon time)
More information & applications: www.stradivarious.eu
This is a fully funded, three-year European Doctoral Network training position, open to qualified applicants worldwide. The only geographical restriction is that you must not be doing a PhD in a country in which you have resided for more than 12 of the previous 36 months at the time of starting your PhD.
