Isolation and characterisation of basal Planctomycetota

Planctomycetes are distinctive bacteria found globally in soil and aquatic environments that play important roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling including removal of ammonium from wastewater via a unique process.

They have many cellular features that are not found in other bacteria, and instead resemble those found in animal and plant cells. Despite their wide distribution and significance in natural and engineered systems, our current knowledge of the group is restricted because they are difficult to grow in the laboratory. 

Targeting basal, uncharacterised lineages for enrichment and cultivation, this project will contribute to our understanding of the functions of this group and the origin of their unusual cellular features.

The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE) has access to the National Computational Infrastructure supercomputing and data-storage facilities and the UQ high-performance computing and data environments offering integrated access to numerous bioinformatic databases, commercial software licenses, unique datasets and scientific visualisation tools.

ACE has two PC2-certified laboratories fully equipped for molecular biology, facilitating work from culturing and nucleic acid extraction through to bioinformatics.

This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.

Learn more about the Research project scholarship.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history.

A working knowledge of metagenomics and bioinformatics analysis would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

You will demonstrate academic achievement in the fields of microbiology and genomics and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of bacterial metabolism and basic laboratory techniques is highly desirable.

You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) by 14 July, 2026 14 July, 2026.

Before you apply

1. Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
2. Prepare your documentation.
3. If you have any questions about whether the project is suitable for your research interests, contact Dr Kate Bowerman (k.bowerman@uq.edu.au).

When you apply

To apply, submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the program. You don't need to apply separately for the project or scholarship. How to submit an EOI

In your EOI, complete the ‘Scholarship/Sponsorship’ section with the following details:

1. Are you applying for an advertised project: 'Yes'
2. Project: 'Research project scholarship'
3. Scholarship Code Listed in the Advertisement: PLANCTOMYCETOTA-HUGENHOLTZ
4. Link to Scholarship Advertisement: https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/isolation-and-characterisation-basal-planctomycetota

Submit an EOI