PhD student in the field of intracellular persistence of Staphylococcus aureus

Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL); Belgique; Presencial; EUR 20 000 - 27 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) in Brussels, Belgium, invites applications for a PhD position investigating host–pathogen interactions that promote Staphylococcus aureus persistence in chronic bone and joint infections.

The project, part of a European consortium, uses multi-omics, flow cytometry, and single‑cell analyses to identify persistence mechanisms and potential biomarkers predicting relapse.

Qualificações

• Master's degree in biology or related field.
• Experience or strong interest in microbiology and flow cytometry.
• Willingness to work in a multidisciplinary and international environment.

Responsabilidades

• Characterize uptake and intracellular fate of clinical S. aureus isolates in human monocytes and macrophages.
• Investigate bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial treatments and decipher host and bacterial responses via multi-omics.
• Develop single-cell analyses using fluorescent biosensor-expressing strains to study heterogeneity of adaptation and survival.

Conhecimentos

microbiology

mammalian cell culture

molecular biology

flow cytometry

anti-infective pharmacology

Formação académica

Master's degree in Biological sciences

Master's degree in Pharmacological sciences

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Organisation/Company Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) Research Field Medical sciences » Other Biological sciences » Other Pharmacological sciences » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 18 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number 101343977 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Prosthetic joint infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are among the most devastating complications of orthopedic surgery. Their chronic and relapsing nature is largely driven by the remarkable capacity of this pathogen to evade both host defenses and antibiotic treatment. S. aureus can survive within host cells, form protective biofilms, and adopt specialized phenotypes such as small-colony variants (SCVs), all of which contribute to antibiotic tolerance and treatment failure.

This PhD project is part of a large international consortium funded through a European collaborative program and coordinated by the University of Reims (France). The consortium brings together complementary expertise to unravel the mechanisms underlying bacterial persistence and relapse in bone and joint infections, and to identify biomarkers capable of predicting the risk of chronic infection.

Research project

The doctoral candidate will be based at UCLouvain (Brussels, Belgium) and will investigate host-pathogen interactions that promote S. aureus persistence during chronic bone and joint infections. The project will focus on:

• Characterizing the uptake and intracellular fate of clinical S. aureus isolates in human monocytes and macrophages, using strains collected from patients with chronic bone infections and displaying diverse persistence-associated phenotypes.
• Investigating bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial treatments and deciphering both host and bacterial responses to infection and antibiotic exposure through state-of-the-art multi-omics approaches.
• Developing single-cell analyses using fluorescent biosensor-expressing strains to uncover the heterogeneity of bacterial adaptation and survival during infection and treatment.

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences » Other Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Pharmacological sciences » Other Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Practical experience and/or a strong interest in microbiology, mammalian cell culture, molecular biology, flow cytometry, and anti-infective pharmacology.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and international environment.
• Curiosity, scientific rigor, and enthusiasm for experimental research.
• Proficiency in English is required (French is also spoken by most of the members of the team).

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

This project offers the opportunity to work at the interface of microbiology, immunology, and pharmacology within a highly collaborative European network, while acquiring expertise in cutting-edge technologies including multi-omics, flow cytometry, cellular infection models, and single-cell analyses. The successful candidate will contribute to addressing a major unmet clinical challenge: preventing the persistence and recurrence of severe bone and joint infections.

Grant for 48 months.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants should hold a Master's degree (with distinction/cum laude) in: Biology, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Biomedical or Pharmaceutical Sciences or any related discipline.