Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,
Department of
Biological and Medical Sciences
3 Year Full Time
studentship
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be
permanently resident in UK/EU
Closing date: 31 July 2019
Start Date: September 2019
Bursary p.a.: £15,009
Fees; to be paid by the University
Main supervisor: Professor Isabel Bermudez
Project
Title: Building a nervous
system: Analysis of transport and assembly mechanisms in synapse formation
Project
Description:
In order for animals to react to an internal or external stimulus with
the appropriate behaviour, the input signals from sensory neurons need to be
received, processes and transmitted correctly to the effector cells, e.g.
muscle cells. The contact between neurons and their target cells are called
synapses. They contain vesicles filled with chemical neurotransmitters that are
released into the synaptic cleft and bind to receptors on the surface of the
target cell and in such a way pass on the information. The fusion of these
vesicles is highly regulated in time and space in the so called active zone
within the synapse. However, despite its important function in the regulation
of neurotransmission, it is still not well understood how these dense
projections are assembled, what their components are and how their shape
reflects their specific function. My lab takes advantage of the well
characterised nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to
tackle exactly those questions. The aim of the PhD project is to take so far
uncharacterized mutants with defects in active zone formation and synaptic
protein transport and characterise them by functional assays and
electrophysiology as well as high resolution Confocal and Electron Microscopy.
Additionally, Mass Spec and RNAi screens will be used to identify new
components to further understand how these specific connections between neurons
are formed to build a functional nervous system.
Description ends with:
Please note only EU/UK nationals/permanent residents are eligible to
apply for this studentship. If you are
not sure if you are eligible please contact Research Administrator: hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk
. Previous candidates should not apply
again.
There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours
undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills
course without further remuneration.
Under Funding notes (100 words)
Applicants should have (or be expecting) a first class 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 with an overall
minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an
approved test centre. We are prepared to consider alternative acceptable
evidence of English Language ability.
Application form downloaded here:
Once
completed, please email to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk.
Decision _
If a DBS check is required on enrolment, the cost of this will be
covered by the University.
Any key words you want to list: neuroscience,
neurotransmission, nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans, genetics, microscopy
Industrial CASE PhD Studentship
Full-time 3.5 year funded Studentship
Insect Virus Research Group, Dept Biological & Medical
Sciences, Oxford Brookes University in collaboration with Exosome Research
Group and Oxford Expression Technologies Ltd
Eligibility: Home/EU only
Fees: Full-time fees paid by the award for 3.5 years
Bursary: tax-free bursary of ~£15,300 pa for 3.5 years
Start date: October 2019
Entry requirements: Applicants with, or expecting to graduate with a first or upper second class Honours degree in the biosciences are invited to apply.
Title: The role
of extracellular vesicles in baculovirus infection
Project description:
Extracellular vesicles or exosomes have long been associated
with mechanisms by which cells remove unwanted materials such as RNA or
proteins. However, it is now known that
these small, membrane-bound vesicles play important roles in extracellular
communication and in modulating the effects of virus infection. Evidence is emerging that virus-infected
cells produce exosomes containing viral proteins or RNA/DNA that may prime
uninfected bystander cells to spread virus infection more rapidly; reports have
even shown that in some cases entire virus particles can be enclosed within
vesicles enabling the virus to spread and enter cell types that would not
normally be infected. Conversely, exosomes may also contain host cell proteins
or microRNAs that help uninfected bystander cells to resist virus
infection. Almost nothing is known about
the role of these extracellular vesicles in the replication cycle and spread of
baculoviruses with insect cells.
This project aims to investigate the role that these
extracellular vesicles may play in baculovirus infection in cultured insect
cells and in transduced mammalian cells.
Recombinant baculoviruses are widely used as expression vectors for the
production of a wide range of proteins and protein complexes including VLPs in
insect cells. After incorporation of
appropriate promoters, they are also used to express genes in mammalian cells
and are being considered for gene therapy applications. Understanding the nature of exosomes in
baculovirus-infected insect cells or transduced mammalian cells may yield
important information in the application of recombinant baculoviruses in
vaccine and gene therapy applications. In addition, it is known that many
insect cells harbour covert, adventitious viruses and it is possible that
exosomes may play a role in their spread between cells in vivo and in vitro.
The project will enable the student to gain experience,
training and expertise in a wide range of molecular and cellular biology
techniques including cloning, cell culture, DNA, RNA and protein analytical
techniques, recombinant gene expression in insect and mammalian cells. The student will also have the chance to
undertake a period (3-6 months) working in OET Ltd, a small successful biotech
company dedicated to the application of baculovirus technology. The student will join a dynamic and
supportive research group located in newly refurbished, well-equipped
laboratories.
How to apply: Please send a CV and covering letter to laking@brookes.ac.uk by 15th
July 2019. Interviews will be held in early August at Oxford Brookes
University. Informal enquires to Prof
Linda King (laking@brookes.ac.uk) or
Prof Robert Possee (r.possee@oetltd.com)