PhD Studentship: Dissecting the Role of the Leishmania Biofilm in Parasite Development in the Sand Fly

3 Year, full-time PhD studentship (Nigel Groome Studentship)

Eligibility: Home UK/EU and International applicants

Bursary p.a.: Bursary equivalent to UKRI national minimum stipend plus fees (current 2023/24 bursary rate is £18,622)

University fees and bench fees: University fees and bench fees will be met by the University for the 3 years of the funded Studentship. Visa and associated costs are not funded. International applicants can visit https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/isat/ for further information.

Closing date: 26 January 2024

Interviews: Tbc

Start date: September 2024 

Project Title: Dissecting the role of the Leishmania biofilm in parasite development in the sand fly

Director of Studies: Dr Jack Sunter

Supervisors: Dr Matt Rogers (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). 

Requirements:

Entry requirements: Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification. EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 6.5 to 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.

The studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

Project Description:

This is an exciting project that will combine advanced microscopy, with the genetic manipulation of Leishmania parasites to understand parasite development in the sand fly. Leishmania causes the neglected disease leishmaniasis that disproportionately affects socio-economically disadvantaged people. It is transmitted by the bite of a sand fly, and in the insect of the gut the parasite modifies its environment by the generation of a biofilm. The parasites secrete a large amount of proteophophoglycans, which forms a gel-like matrix that acts as a biofilm forcing the sand fly to regurgitate parasites. We will dissect in detail biofilm formation and function through CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene deletion of specific proteophosphoglycan genes, combined with advanced confocal microscopy, volume electron microscopy, and sand fly infections to address how biofilm integrity affects i) Leishmania distribution and ultrastructural arrangement in the biofilm, and ii) its development and transmission.

Dr Jack Sunter (Director of Studies) is an expert in Leishmania cell biology and parasite-host interactions and Dr Matt Rogers (LSHTM – 2nd supervisor) is an expert in Leishmania-vector interactions, Leishmania immunology and transmission. The student will receive full training in all approaches to be used in this project by Dr Sunter (microscopy, genetic manipulation) and Prof Rogers (sand fly assays). The sand fly colony is located in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the student will regularly visit LSHTM to initiate and analyse sand fly infections. Both supervisors are experienced and have successfully supervised many PhD students to completion. 

Contact: [email protected] ;

https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/groups/molecular-cell-biology-of-parasite-morphology  

How to apply: Applicants should visit the project webpage to download instructions on how to submit an online application, under 'How to apply' button on the Oxford Brookes vacancy page. You will be routed to this when you click on the above “Apply” button. Enquiries about the application process can be sent to: [email protected] . 

Advertised competitively alongside our current Nigel Groome PhD studentship advertisements for Biological and Medical Sciences. Part time MPhil/PhD study will be exceptionally considered (Home Fee status applicants only).