How to Succeed in Applying for a Phage-Related PhD (From Someone Who’s Been There)

Applying for a PhD often appears to follow similar expectations across disciplines, particularly the assumption that prior, field-specific experience is essential. However, this is not always true for emerging and rapidly evolving research areas such as bacteriophage science.

Phage research remains a relatively young field, and while interest has grown sharply, driven largely by the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis, the number of researchers actively working on phages is still limited. As a result, many PhD projects are designed with the expectation that students will develop phage-specific expertise during their training, rather than arrive with it already in place.

If you’re looking for a PhD working on phage biology, phage therapy, phage–host interactions, viromes, e.t.c this guide is for you.

1. Understand What Principa Investigators Actually Look For

Here’s the truth: most supervisors are not looking for a “perfect” candidate.

They are looking for someone who:

• Is genuinely curious about the subject i.e phages
• Can learn fast
• Is comfortable being confused (a lot)
• Won’t quit when experiments fail, or scripts break

You do not need to already be a phage expert.

Many successful phage PhD students started from:

• General microbiology
• Molecular biology
• Bioinformatics
• Biotechnology
• Ecology
• Medicine or veterinary science

What matters most is trajectory, not perfection.

2. Show Real Interest in Phages (Not Just “I Want a PhD”)

One of the biggest mistakes applicants make is treating phage related PhDs like any other PhD.

Phages are still a niche field. Passion matters.

Simple things that help enormously:

• Read recent phage papers (even if you don’t understand everything as this field evolve very fast due to it’s infancy)
• Follow phage researchers on LinkedIn or X (well many from X shifted to Bluesky)
• Attend webinars or talks when possible
• Write or talk about phages in your own words (Let us know if you would love to publish a guest post with us)

If you want to build that knowledge gradually, our blog regularly breaks down phage research, careers, and opportunities in an accessible way:
👉 https://thephage.xyz

Admissions committees can feel genuine interest. Fake enthusiasm is easy to spot.

3. Contact Supervisors (But Do It Properly)

Cold emailing works, but only when done right.

A good first email:

• Is short (no life story)
• Mentions their work specifically (make sure you have read through what they are doing)
• Explains why you’re interested in that project
• Clearly states your background and skills
• Asks whether they are taking PhD students, or if you are sure they are, you can easily ask if you fit what they are looking for

Bad emails say:

“Dear Professor, I want a PhD in your lab.”

Good emails say:

“I read your recent work on phage–host dynamics in gut microbiomes, and I’m particularly interested in how you combine wet-lab and bioinformatics approaches…”

That one sentence already sets you apart.

4. Don’t Undersell Transferable Skills

Many applicants think:

“I haven’t worked on phages, so I’m not competitive.”

That’s rarely true.

Phage Labs value:

• PCR, cloning, DNA/RNA extraction
• Sequencing library prep
• Bioinformatics (R, Python, Bash)
• Statistics and data visualisation
• Microscopy, culturing, assay optimisation

If you’ve worked with bacteria, viruses, metagenomics, or big datasets, you’re relevant. And yes, if you have worked with bacteriophages in any way may be advantegous.

Your job is to translate your experience into phage language.

5. Learn Where Phage PhDs Are Actually Advertised

This is crucial and most people miss it.

Phage PhDs are often:

• Poorly advertised
• Scattered across countries
• Buried on university pages
• Shared informally via networks

That’s exactly why we maintain a dedicated phage jobs board that tracks:

• PhD positions
• Research assistant roles
• Postdocs
• Internships
• and many more related opportunities

👉 https://jobs.thephage.xyz

If you check regularly, you’ll see opportunities you won’t find on generic job sites as we curate them for you.

6. Your Proposal Matters Less Than You Think (But Your Thinking Matters More)

For most funded PhDs, the project is already defined.

Supervisors are not expecting a perfect proposal, they want to see:

• How you think
• How do you ask questions
• Whether you understand the big picture

It’s okay to say:

“I don’t fully understand X yet, but I’m keen to learn.”

That honesty is a strength, not a weakness.

7. Rejection Is Normal (Even for Strong Candidates)

This one hurts, but it’s important.

You can be:

• Well qualified
• Passionate
• A good fit

…and still not get the position.

Reasons include:

• Funding limits
• Internal candidates
• Visa constraints
• Timing

Rejection is not a verdict on your intelligence or potential.

Keep applying. Keep improving. Keep showing up.

Final Advice (From the Heart)

If you want a PhD in phages (and any other field):

• Stay curious
• Be visible
• Talk to people
• Apply even when you feel “not ready”

Phage research needs diverse voices from different countries, backgrounds, and disciplines.

And if you want ongoing guidance, job updates, and honest discussion about phage science and careers, keep an eye on: https://thephage.xyz and the job section https://thephage.xyz/jobs