Student projects

Phage research is a multidisciplinary subject that covers broad areas including biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology, biochemistry, food and veterinary science. We can design a bachelor and master project specifically for you depending on your background, interests and time available for the project. Here are some examples of possible projects.

Bachelor projects that includes literature review

How to use phage as biocontrol for reduction of pathogenic bacteria in food?

  • How could phage therapy be applied to animals of food origin?
  • What kinds of food are suitable for implementing phage biocontrol against pathogenic bacteria?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of phage application?
  • When and how should the phages be added during food production?
  • How can the outcome of phage applications be improved?
  • What novel techniques can be used to harness the specificity and the activity of phages?

Bachelor and master projects that includes laboratory experiments

Novel methods for genome sequencing and genetic characterization of bacteriophages
Your work:
Using phages in our collection, you will optimize gDNA isolation, develop the sequencing methods, analyse the data, assign and identify genes to turn sequencing data into biological findings such as; discovering novel enzymes and receptor-binding proteins, which can be used to combat or detect pathogenic bacteria.
Methods: Phage propagation, DNA isolation, Wet-lab sequencing (Illumina MiSeq), bioinformatic genome analysis and comparison.

Phage receptor identification for improving phage biocontrol of pathogenic E. coli
Your work:
Using particular bacterial strains from our collection, you will construct systematic mutants of candidate bacterial receptor genes and investigate the adsorption efficiency of the phages to discover novel phage receptors.
Methods: Hands on experience on phage-host interaction experiments, DNA cloning and gene specific mutagenesis.

How do flagellotropic bacteriophages bind and interact with the flagellum of bacteria?
Your work:
By applying systematic gene knockouts, flagella isolation and analysis of flagella composition by molecular methods you will discover the actual molecular flagella structure needed for primary interaction of flagellotropic phages that infect Campylobacter jejuni.
Methods: Phage-host interactions, cloning techniques, MS and SDS-PAGE analysis.

How do bacteria become resistant to phages and how do phages tackle resistance?
Your work:
In a model phage-host combination, you will co-evolve bacteria and phage together and isolate representative phage and bacteria over time. You will characterize and compare them with the parental bacteria and phage to investigate the interplay between the “prey and the hunter”.
Methods: Hands on experience on phage-host interaction experiments, DNA isolation, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.

Engineering phage enzymes for biocontrol of Gram-negative bacteria
Your work: You will clone, express and purify putative phage components and determine their activity towards Gram-negative bacteria. You will further advance or combine their efficiency by shuffling functional domains.
Methods: Advanced molecular methods, including DNA cloning, and protein engineering and analysis.

Biocontrol using phages – a solution for food safety?
Your work: You will develop and optimise application procedures for reduction of gram-negative pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter on foods by using bacteriophages. The work will include analysis of our phage collection with regards to their stability towards relevant stresses.
Methods: Phage isolation, propagation and characterization, development of food models, critical evaluation of phage applicability in relevant industrial food chain.

Phage hunting - Establish a new phage collection
Your work: Using our bacterial collections, you will isolate, purify and propagate novel phages from a variety of niches and environments that you choose. Furthermore, you will characterize your phage collection by determining host range and investigating morphological and genomic features of the isolated phages.
Methods: Phage isolation, propagation and characterization, TEM, DNA isolation, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.