PhD Research Fellowship in Microfluidic Tools for Rapid Phage Therapy Testing and Manufacturing
The University of Minho (UMinho), Portugal, is inviting applications for a fully funded PhD Research Fellowship to develop innovative microfluidic tools for rapid phage therapy testing and manufacturing. This position is offered under the ERA Chair project REACTORS 5.0 – “Sustainable REACTOR and microreactor designs for boosting green and digital innovations”, funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) through the Horizon Europe program.
This fellowship offers a strong opportunity for aspiring PhD researchers to work at the intersection of phage therapy, microfluidics, biosensing, and machine learning to address one of the most urgent global challenges—antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
This position is centered on applied phage research to develop genetically engineered phages for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The work directly addresses the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and aims to provide innovative solutions for patients suffering from multidrug-resistant and recalcitrant bacterial infections.
Successful outcomes from this research have the potential to deliver life-saving therapies and significantly improve patients’ quality of life.
About the REACTORS 5.0 Project
REACTORS 5.0 is a high-impact, interdisciplinary research initiative running from February 2025 to January 2030. The project is led by Dr Nuno M. Reis (University of Bath, UK) and hosted at the Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho.
The project brings together international expertise in sustainable reactor and microreactor design, advanced modelling, and digital technologies to support innovation across clinical, environmental, and food sectors.
About the PhD Project
The therapeutic use of phages is increasingly recognised as a critical solution to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. While clinical demand for phage therapy is rising, its widespread adoption is limited by the lack of rapid, standardised tools for phage susceptibility testing in clinical microbiology.
This PhD project aims to overcome this bottleneck by developing novel microfluidic platforms capable of:
- Rapid assessment of bacteriophage efficacy
- Quantification of bacterial growth inhibition by phages
- High-throughput testing of phage panels
- Supporting efficient phage therapy manufacturing pipelines
The research will involve phenotypic colourimetric or fluorescence-based bioassays, electrochemical sensing approaches, and may integrate machine learning techniques to accelerate data interpretation and clinical decision-making.
Upon completion, the candidate is expected to be well positioned as a future leader and global expert in biosensor-based phage therapy testing.
Eligibility
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Virology, Environmental Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or related fields
- Enrolment (or willingness to enrol) in a PhD programme in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Bioengineering, or Biomedical Engineering
- Background or training in microfluidics, reaction engineering, microbiology, biosensing, image analysis, or machine learning
- Prior research experience in phage therapy, in-vitro diagnostics, or microreactor systems
Application Process
With Subject Line: “CEB-BI-14-2025“, Mail the following documents to: bolsas@ceb.uminho.pt
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Academic degree certificates (or declaration of completion)
- Proof of eligibility for the fellowship
- Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages)
- Additional documents relevant to evaluation
For more phage-related PhD opportunities, check here
