Master bio-sciences - Brussels, België - Sciensano

Beschrijving

About the project: antibiotic resistance is considered by the WHO to be one of the greatest threats to human and animal health. The absence of treatments for bacteria that have become multi-resistant could in fact take us back to a time when millions of people died of trivial infections. In the front line are people in hospitals, where the bacteria circulate and risk infecting particularly fragile people. In order to gain a better understanding of the niches of multi-resistant bacteria in the hospital environment and the risks to patients, the RESERVOIR research project was launched with a major grant from the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) and funded by the FNRS to develop and validate a new approach for more effective monitoring of drug-resistant bacteria in the hospital environment.

The Université de Liège together with Sciensano invite motivated candidates to apply for a PhD position within the framework of the RESERVOIR project and similar activities related to the use of wastewater in a MDRO context.

About the project: antibiotic resistance is considered by the WHO to be one of the greatest threats to human and animal health. The absence of treatments for bacteria that have become multi-resistant could in fact take us back to a time when millions of people died of trivial infections. In the front line are people in hospitals, where the bacteria circulate and risk infecting particularly fragile people. In order to gain a better understanding of the niches of multi-resistant bacteria in the hospital environment and the risks to patients, the RESERVOIR research project was launched with a major grant from the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) and funded by the FNRS to develop and validate a new approach for more effective monitoring of drug-resistant bacteria in the hospital environment.

You will be supported by the scientific staff of the various departments involved within Sciensano and the promoter's Université de Liège.

You will present the results at national and international meetings and conferences, enter into discussions with (inter)national experts and incorporate them into publications (peer-reviewed articles).

The results of your research will contribute to the award of a doctorate.

Sciensano' s Food pathogens team - involved in the National wastewater surveillance and several other activities related to this type of environmental monitoring - will be responsible for developing and validating sentinel surveillance via sampling and analysis of hospital wastewater and will help characterise isolated carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales (EPC) and non-E. coli producing extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL).

The Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis applied to veterinary sciences (UREAR-Liège) have a large experience in coaching PhD students and have an interest in AMR, especially aspects related to epidemiology, risk analysis and biosecurity.

Highly motivated to carry out scientific research and independent laboratory work with a view to defending a PhD.

Master's degree in bio-sciences

Technical competencies: microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); bioinformatics; next generation sequencing (NGS)data analysis; molecular techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, RT-PCR, dPCR, NGS), FTIR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry

Languages: English; Dutch or French is an asset.

Generic skills: focused and organised; solution-oriented; accurate; entrepreneurial; stress-resistant; good communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team; willing to learn.

A 36-month PhD scholarship (Université de Liège) with possibility to extend one more year

Varied and stimulating work

Contributing to a public health subject, relevant to society

A dynamic environment

Numerous development and training opportunities

Guidance by experienced scientists

The opportunity to take part in (inter)national symposia.