Quantifying Rapid Evolution of Thermal Tolerance in the Novel Pathogenic Fungus Candida auris (Candidozyma auris). MRC GW4 BioMed DTP PhD studentship for 2026/27 Entry, Department of Physical Geography (Penryn) Ref: 5626

Supervisors

Lead Supervisor:  Professor Gabriel Yvon-Durocher - University of Exeter - Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

Co-Supervisors:

Professor Neil Gow - University of Exeter - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Dr Borko Amulic - University of Bristol

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP is offering up to 17 funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2026.

These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UK Research Councils, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and 'team science'. The DTP already has over 90 studentships over 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 80 students over 4 cohorts in its second phase.

The 122 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;

• Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair

• Neuroscience and Mental Health

• Population Health Sciences

Applications open on 1 September 2025 and close at 5.00pm on 20th October 2025.

Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check our website for details.

Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part time study may also be available.

Project Information

Research Theme:  Infection, Immunity & Antimicrobial Repair

Summary:  

Periodic episodes of high temperature associated with global climate change may be driving changes in the host range of pathogens, potentially enabling high temperature adapted fungi to make host jumps into human and warm-blooded animals. In this project we will explore how and whether the recently emerged drug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris, (now renamed Candidozyma auris) has adapted to rising temperatures. We will compare human fungal pathogens of the Candida and related genera for their thermal tolerance profiles and use serial in vitro adaptation experiments to assess the physiological traits that correlate with thermal adaptation. 

Details:  

Candida auris has rapidly emerged as a significant global health threat due to its remarkable capacity to cause superficial and invasive infections, its resistance to antifungal drugs, and its ability to persistently colonize healthcare environments. It is now known why multiple clades of C. auris have emerged almost simultaneously on multiple continents in the last 15-20 years. This highlights major gaps in our understanding of its evolutionary and ecological adaptation. Recent research underscores the critical role of environmental changes, including global warming and widespread fungicide usage, in promoting the emergence and adaptation of fungal pathogens capable of overcoming mammalian thermal barriers. Given the escalating incidence and severity of invasive fungal infections, it is essential to understand the limits and mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance in C. auris to predict and manage its potential threats.

This project addresses crucial gaps by comprehensively investigating how C. auris and related environmental Candida species respond to elevated temperatures, evolve in response to climatic changes, and how these adaptations may impact their resistance to antifungal treatments and other stressors and their immunological profile. By integrating physiological studies with advanced multi-omics approaches—genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics—this project aims to delineate the complex physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying fungal thermal tolerance and pathogen emergence and the consequences of these changes to the virulence of the fungus.

Objectives:

1.                   Characterise the thermal tolerance limits and physiological mechanisms in C. auris and related environmental Candida species:

         Determine the thermal performance curves, including optimal growth temperatures and lethal temperature thresholds across diverse Candida strains.

         Apply genomic sequencing, transcriptomic profiling, and proteomic analyses to identify the genetic and molecular determinants underpinning thermal tolerance.

2.                   Quantify the capacity for rapid evolution of increased thermal tolerance due to climate warming: Conduct laboratory-based experimental evolution studies (via serial passage experiments) to track adaptive changes in C. auris and environmental Candida species under increased temperatures.

         Employ genomic sequencing and comparative transcriptomic analyses to identify mutations and gene expression shifts associated with rapid thermal adaptation.

3.                   Assess cross-tolerance, including increased resistance to antifungal agents and environmental stressors:

         Investigate whether thermal-adapted Candida strains exhibit cross-resistance to antifungal drugs, thereby increasing their potential to become clinically significant pathogens.

         Use comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic analyses coupled with antifungal susceptibility assays to evaluate the interplay between thermal adaptation, drug resistance, and broader environmental stress responses.

4.                   Assess whether thermal adaptation induces changes in the immune and pathogenicity profile of C. auris that has the impact to further affect its pathogenicity:

         Investigate how immune recognition by C-type lectins are altered by strains undergoing thermos-adaptation

         Determine whether the interaction of C. auris with human macrophages and neutrophils (ROS production, phagocytosis, fungal killing, cytokine secretions) are altered in high temperature adapted strains.

         Deterine whether high temperature adapted strains are altered in their virulence using a Galleria infection model.

Through an interdisciplinary approach combining microbiology, evolutionary biology, medical mycology, immunology and environmental sciences, this research will elucidate critical aspects of fungal adaptation in response to global climate change, particularly the potential emergence of novel pathogens. The integration of physiological and cutting-edge multi-omics techniques ensures robust and detailed insights into the adaptive mechanisms of C. auris, enabling better prediction and control strategies.

The project will benefit from the extensive expertise and state-of-the-art facilities available at the University of Exeter and University of Bristol, with supervision provided by Prof. Gabriel Yvon-Durocher, Prof. Neil Gow and Dr. Borko Amulic. Prof. Yvon-Durocher brings critical insights into microbial thermal ecology and evolutionary biology, Prof. Gow contributes significant expertise in medical mycology and fungal pathogenicity and Dr. Borko Amulic is an expert in host-pathogen interactions focusing on deciphering how innate immune cells respond to fungi. Collaboratively leveraging the resources of the Living Systems Institute and the Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter and the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol, this project will position us to better understand, anticipate, and manage emerging fungal threats in a warming world.

Funding

This studentship is funded through GW4BioMed2 MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. It consists of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£20.20780 p.a. for 2025/26, updated each year).

Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.

Eligibility

Residency:

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP studentships are available to UK and International applicants. Following Brexit, the UKRI now classifies EU students as international unless they have rights under the EU Settlement Scheme. The GW4 partners have agreed to cover the difference in costs between home and international tuition fees. This means that international candidates will not be expected to cover this cost and will be fully funded but need to be aware that they will be required to cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD.  All studentships will be competitively awarded and there is a limit to the number of International students that we can accept into our programme (up to 30% cap across our partners per annum).

Academic criteria:

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences.  Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English requirements:

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements for the University of Exeter by the start of the programme. Please refer to the details in the following web page for further information https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/englishlanguagerequirements/

Please check the relevant English Language requirements of the university that will host the PhD project.  

Data Protection

If you are applying for a place on a collaborative programme of doctoral training provided by Cardiff University and other universities, research organisations and/or partners please be aware that your personal data will be used and disclosed for the purposes set out below.

Your personal data will always be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations of 2018. Cardiff University (“University”) will remain a data controller for the personal data it holds, and other universities, research organisations and/or partners (“HEIs”) may also become data controllers for the relevant personal data they receive as a result of their participation in the collaborative programme of doctoral training (“Programme”).

Further Information

For an overview of the MRC GW4 BioMed programme please see the website www.gw4biomed.ac.uk

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements for the University of Exeter by the start of the programme. Please refer to the relevant university website for further information.  This will be at least 6.5 in IELTS or an acceptable equivalent.  Please refer to the English Language requirements web page for further information.

Please check the relevant English Language requirements of the university that will host the PhD project. 

How to apply

A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the DTP’s website at gw4biomed.ac.uk.  You may apply for up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.

Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP for an ‘offer of funding’.  If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution.

Please complete the online application form linked from our website by 5.00pm on Monday, 20th October 2025.  Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check the DTP’s website for details and updates

If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Tuesday, 23rd December 2025.  Interviews will be held virtually on 27th and 28th January 2026.  

Further Information

For informal enquiries, please contact GW4BioMed@cardiff.ac.uk

For project related queries, please contact the respective supervisors listed on the project descriptions on our website.

Summary