Additional recruitment to the Doctoral School of Natural Sciences beyond the limit of places

Project description:       

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the rapid growth and spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria is reaching a global crisis. Riverine systems, in particular, may be key recipients, pathways, and sources for the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In a 2022 WHO report, microplastics (MPs) are identified as an anthropogenic pollutant that poses a significant threat to the environment and human health, including the potential to contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of MPs and co-occurring pharmaceutical and heavy metal pollution on the structure, abundance, and mobility of aquatic resistomes in a large European river currently undergoing an ecological crisis driven by climate change and pollution. The project will investigate the type and frequency of ARB, ARGs, and integrase genes (intI1, a marker of anthropogenic pollution) in biofilms forming on MPs, as well as in surrounding water and sediment under selective pressure from pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in the Odra River — one of the largest rivers in Central Europe. As key mobile genetic elements (MGEs) driving the mobility of ARGs, plasmids will be extracted from the samples and sequenced to capture the plasmidome, in order to determine the abundance and identify the diversity of ARGs and integrons transmitted via MGEs. The samples will be collected along an anthropogenically-influenced gradient, from upstream through midstream to downstream as well as at the mouth of the Odra River into the Baltic Sea. Fieldwork will be complemented by controlled laboratory simulations of riverine conditions to better disentangle the interactions between MPs, pollutants, and microbial resistance.

To capture the full complexity of resistance dissemination, this project introduces a novel hybrid approach combining classical culture-based methods, metagenomic sequencing, plasmidome profiling, and comprehensive chemical and physicochemical analyses. This integrative methodology enables a comprehensive assessment of both phenotypic antibiotic resistance and the full genetic resistome, including MGEs, which shape resistome dynamics and play a critical role in bacterial evolution.

Such research can help prioritize synergistic actions that comprehensively addresses environmental and human health threats, and helps to identify ways to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance.

REQUIRED SKILLS OF THE CANDIDATE:
- master's degree in molecular biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology or related,

- knowledge of microbiology and metagenomics,

- hands-on experience in bacterial culture and bacterial identification methods,

- hands-on experience in plasmid and genomic DNA isolation, as well as molecular biology techniques, including PCR, qPCR, dPCR, cloning, and sequencing,

- experience in bioinformatics and statistical analyzes (NGS analyzes), demonstrated by relevant training courses and/or scientific publications,

- fluency in English (both spoken and written),  

- very good organizational skills.

Principal investigator: dr Nikoletta Makowska-Zawierucha  NCN 2025/57/NZ8/01413

Recruitment 

Selection Committee

                              Chairwoman:                       dr Nikoletta Makowska-Zawierucha

Schedule of  the Doctoral  School enrolment procedure:  

Recruitment fee

The recruitment fee is 75 EUR.

Language of the selection procedure, including interviews:

Polish or English language. 

Required documents:

Candidates applying based on exceptional academic achievements must include a scan of the following:  

1) For first-cycle graduates: the diploma and supplement. 

2) For students completing the third year of a unified master’s programme: a certificate indicating their academic average from years 1 to 3, along with a transcript. 

Candidates educated outside Poland must additionally submit: 

1)    A scan of a document certifying education – a diploma with a diploma supplement for first- and second-cycle studies (Bachelor’s, MSc, or MA degrees) in the original language; if the document is not in English, a copy of the diploma in English or Polish, or a certified translation of the diploma into English or Polish, shall also be provided;

2)    A scan of a diploma or certificate confirming knowledge of a modern foreign language at a level of at least B2;  

3)    A scan of a passport, in the case of foreign nationals.

 Evaluation criteria

1)   The grade obtained in second-cycle studies or a uniform master’s degree programme (no more than 3 points); the candidate shall receive:

a)      3 points for a grade of at least very good or equivalent;

b)      2 points for a grade of good plus or equivalent;

c)       1 point for a grade of good or equivalent;

d)      3 points in the case of candidates applying for admission on the basis of the highest quality of scientific achievements (e.g. leadership of a project under the “Pearls of Science” programme).

In the absence of a diploma grade, the average grade from the course of studies shall be taken into account.

2)   Points for maximum three documented scientific achievements, in accordance with the detailed criteria for the candidate’s achievements, attached during electronic registration in the IRK system; no more than 22 points may be awarded.

3)   Points for other documented activities, based on a maximum of three achievements, in accordance with the detailed criteria for the candidate’s achievements in a given discipline; no more than 5 points may be awarded.

4)    Points for a research project prepared for the purposes of admission, and in the case of admission conducted in connection with the implementation of a research project – an original concept for the implementation of a grant project (no more than 20 points), with particular emphasis on:

a)     the ability to formulate the research objective and present the research problem;

b)     the originality of the research idea and the ability to select an appropriate method for solving the research problem;

c)      methodology appropriate to the chosen discipline;

d)     knowledge of existing research, supported by a basic bibliography;

e)     the significance of the project for the development of the chosen discipline;

f)       risk analysis of research tasks.

5)    The result of the interview, the scope of which shall include:

a)    knowledge and competences appropriate to the chosen discipline;

b)    elements of research methodology appropriate to the chosen discipline.

No more than 50 points may be awarded for the interview, and the maximum duration of the interview shall be 30 minutes.

Detailed admission criteria 2026/2027

Condition of admission to the Doctoral School 

Education Program

Education at the doctoral school lasts 8 semesters. Education is conducted on the basis of a curriculum and an individual research plan, and concludes with the submission of a doctoral thesis. The doctoral school curriculum comprises a catalogue of compulsory, compulsory elective, and optional modules.    

Start of studies: 1 October 2026. 

Supervisors

A doctoral student works under the supervision of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and auxiliary supervisor, who will be appointed by the Deputy Rector at the request of a doctoral student (within 3 months of the start of his or her studies at the Doctoral School).

Scholarships 

The doctoral scholarship amounts to PLN 5000 (gross-gross) per month before the mid-term evaluation and PLN 6500 (gross-gross) per month after the mid-term evaluation.

Rules of admission to doctoral schools of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań in the academic year 2026/2027, Appendix to Resolution No. 132/2025/2026 of UAM Senate of 26 January, 2026.