Industry partners wanted for UKRI submission with University of Manchester academic in phage therapeutic research
If you are interested in advancing research and development within this fascinating area, we would be delighted to discuss potential collaboration opportunities. Your expertise and industrial perspective would be invaluable to our academic research team and we would love to speak to you before the 7th Feb initial expression of interest deadline.
Please contact william.smith-4@manchester.ac.uk
University of Manchester Future Leaders Fellowship Application Further information
Proposal: bacteria make phage-like antimicrobials called tailocins. They’re very selective toxins, so they have great potential as
i) antimicrobials and
ii) tools for microbiome engineering – they kill the pathogen but leave good bugs alone.
They also have high stability / low toxicity to host. There are several barriers to their adoption as therapeutics, which my proposal will address.
These are
o Finding out quickly which tailocins are effective against a focal pathogen;
o Understanding and optimising tailocin killing within biofilms;
o Assessing the potential for resistance evolution.
Support level: In the first instance we are looking to start a dialogue with the aim of the industrial partner committing “in kind” support to the proposal e.g. Consultation about product development, market research or Hosting researchers for short industrial placements.
Timescale: The full proposal is due mid June 2025. An expression of interest via UoM must be submitted on Feb 7th. Having a dialogue open by that time would be really helpful, then we can discuss potential for support by the full deadline.
Project Duration: The duration of this award is up to seven years. Fellowships will be funded for four years in the first instance (or equivalent length of time extended pro rata for part-time applicants), with the option to apply to renew for a further three years during the last year of the fellowship
