📍 Location: Streatham Campus, University of Exeter, England
📅 Application Deadline: 20 June 2025
🕒 Start Date: 22 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter
💼 Type: Fully Funded PhD Studentship (Full-Time / Part-Time)
💰 Funding: Home tuition fees + £20,780 annual stipend (tax-free) + £21,000 research budget over 3.5 years
🔬 About the PhD Studentship
The Department of Biosciences at the University of Exeter, in collaboration with CEFAS and the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, invites highly motivated candidates to apply for a fully funded PhD position focused on genomics, aquaculture, and disease resistance.
This exciting PhD project aims to investigate the molecular and genetic basis of sea lice resistance in salmonids using advanced genomic technologies and bioinformatics tools. The research is a vital contribution to tackling one of the aquaculture industry’s most pressing challenges—sea lice infestations.
🧫 Research Background: Tackling Sea Lice in Salmon Aquaculture
Sea lice are parasitic copepods that severely impact both wild and farmed salmonid populations, causing:
- Significant animal welfare concerns
- Physiological stress and skin damage
- Increased vulnerability to secondary infections
- Economic losses amounting to hundreds of millions globally
Climate change and growing resistance to existing treatments are worsening the problem. This project supports a shift from reactive chemical treatments to proactive, genetic-based solutions.
🧬 Project Overview: Genomics Meets Aquaculture Innovation
The core objective of this PhD research is to:
- Identify genetic and molecular mechanisms of sea lice resistance
- Compare immune responses in resistant vs. susceptible salmonid species
- Apply bioinformatics and high-throughput sequencing techniques
- Support the development of biotechnological tools for improving fish health and resistance
The research findings will directly support sustainable aquaculture, reduce dependence on chemical treatments, and enhance animal welfare in salmon farming.
📚 What the PhD Studentship Covers
Eligible candidates will receive:
- Full coverage of Home (UK) tuition fees
- Annual tax-free stipend of at least £20,780 (for 3.5 years)
- Research support budget of £21,000 for:
- Lab and fieldwork
- Conferences and travel
- Research consumables
🏫 Study Environment
You’ll be based in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, located at the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus—a top-ranked research university in the UK known for excellence in environmental science, aquaculture research, and life sciences.
🌐 How to Apply
Interested in applying? Visit the official job posting page for full application details and submission guidelines:
📝 Summary: Why You Should Apply
This PhD studentship offers:
- A fully funded opportunity in a high-impact area of aquaculture biotechnology
- The chance to work with leading researchers and government-backed institutions like CEFAS
- Hands-on training in genomic technologies, molecular biology, and bioinformatics
- A meaningful contribution to sustainable fish farming and global food security