or
Continue with FacebookLooking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here.
This project is no longer listed on FindAPhD.com and may not be available.
Click here to search FindAPhD.com for PhD studentship opportunities
Prof P Mertens, Prof M Palmarini
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
This project is fully funded by The Pirbright Institute and the student will be registered with the University of Glasgow.
Supervisors: Prof Peter Mertens and Dr Gillian Pullinger with Prof Massimo Palmarini (University of Glasgow)Eligible students will receive a minimum annual stipend of £13,590 and University registration fees will be paid. The student would primarily be based in Pirbright with visits to Glasgow to meet with their supervisor and undertake training as required. Training will be received on reverse genetics and the use of Culicoides infection models
The recently identified bluetongue virus serotypes, BTV-25 and BTV-26, have ‘replication defects’ in certain cell culture systems. Indeed it has so far been impossible to culture BTV-25 in either mammalian or insect cells in vitro. Although BTV-26 replicates in mammalian cells it does not infect/replicate effectively in insect cells.
BTV is usually transmitted between animals by Culicoides (biting midges), but it was recently shown that BTV-26 can be transmitted horizontally between vertebrate hosts (goats) without involving a Culicoides vector. We have established a reverse genetics system for BTV, and have used it to generate mono-reassortants containing individual genome segments of BTV-26 in a BTV-1 background. All BTV-26 segments except Seg-2 (encoding outer capsid protein VP2) have been put into BTV-1, confirming in each case that they can replicate in mammalian cells. One of the reassortants, RG27, which has BTV-26 Seg-7 in BTV-1, was unable to replicate in a Culicoides cell line, whereas the others replicated as well as the BTV-1 parent. Seg-7 encodes the outer core protein VP7. Purified BTV core particles have previously been shown to infect KC cells and adult Culicoides in the absence of the outer capsid proteins that are important for mammalian cell attachment. This indicates that VP7 can mediate infection of insect cells.
BTV-25 and 26 (which show ~98% aa identity in VP7) may not depend on Culicoides vectors for transmission, and may have lost their ability to infect adult Culicoides. The infection/lack of infection in insects may be controlled by VP7, but it is uncertain if VP7 also confers an ability to be transmitted horizontally between vertebrate hosts. This may be controlled by the outer-capsid proteins (particularly VP2) that are considered to be primarily responsible for cell attachment in the mammalian host.
Reverse genetics approaches will be used to further investigate the genetic basis of insect/horizontal transmission of BTV-25 and 26.
Full details of this studentship can be found here: http://www.pirbright.ac.uk/students/Studentships.aspx
Supervisors: Prof Peter Mertens and Dr Gillian Pullinger with Prof Massimo Palmarini (University of Glasgow)Eligible students will receive a minimum annual stipend of £13,590 and University registration fees will be paid. The student would primarily be based in Pirbright with visits to Glasgow to meet with their supervisor and undertake training as required. Training will be received on reverse genetics and the use of Culicoides infection models
The recently identified bluetongue virus serotypes, BTV-25 and BTV-26, have ‘replication defects’ in certain cell culture systems. Indeed it has so far been impossible to culture BTV-25 in either mammalian or insect cells in vitro. Although BTV-26 replicates in mammalian cells it does not infect/replicate effectively in insect cells.
BTV is usually transmitted between animals by Culicoides (biting midges), but it was recently shown that BTV-26 can be transmitted horizontally between vertebrate hosts (goats) without involving a Culicoides vector. We have established a reverse genetics system for BTV, and have used it to generate mono-reassortants containing individual genome segments of BTV-26 in a BTV-1 background. All BTV-26 segments except Seg-2 (encoding outer capsid protein VP2) have been put into BTV-1, confirming in each case that they can replicate in mammalian cells. One of the reassortants, RG27, which has BTV-26 Seg-7 in BTV-1, was unable to replicate in a Culicoides cell line, whereas the others replicated as well as the BTV-1 parent. Seg-7 encodes the outer core protein VP7. Purified BTV core particles have previously been shown to infect KC cells and adult Culicoides in the absence of the outer capsid proteins that are important for mammalian cell attachment. This indicates that VP7 can mediate infection of insect cells.
BTV-25 and 26 (which show ~98% aa identity in VP7) may not depend on Culicoides vectors for transmission, and may have lost their ability to infect adult Culicoides. The infection/lack of infection in insects may be controlled by VP7, but it is uncertain if VP7 also confers an ability to be transmitted horizontally between vertebrate hosts. This may be controlled by the outer-capsid proteins (particularly VP2) that are considered to be primarily responsible for cell attachment in the mammalian host.
Reverse genetics approaches will be used to further investigate the genetic basis of insect/horizontal transmission of BTV-25 and 26.
Full details of this studentship can be found here: http://www.pirbright.ac.uk/students/Studentships.aspx
Funding Notes
• Fully-funded studentships are available to home students and eligible EU students, in line with BBSRC criteria found here: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Guidelines/studentship_eligibility.pdf.
• Open to science graduates (with min of 2.1, or equivalent, in a relevant biological subject in their undergraduate degree, or a Masters degree in an appropriate subject). Other first degrees, e.g. veterinary science, will be considered. You should have an active interest in the control of infectious diseases.
• EU students must also provide evidence that they meet the English language requirement, e.g. with an IELTS score of 7.0 and no less than 6.5 in any of the subsections.
• Open to science graduates (with min of 2.1, or equivalent, in a relevant biological subject in their undergraduate degree, or a Masters degree in an appropriate subject). Other first degrees, e.g. veterinary science, will be considered. You should have an active interest in the control of infectious diseases.
• EU students must also provide evidence that they meet the English language requirement, e.g. with an IELTS score of 7.0 and no less than 6.5 in any of the subsections.
References
1. Maan S, Maan NS, Nomikou K, Veronesi E, Bachanek-Bankowska K, Belaganahalli MN, Attoui H, Mertens PP (2011) Complete genome characterisation of a novel 26th bluetongue virus serotype from Kuwait. PLoS One 6(10): e26147.
2. Hofmann MA, Renzullo S, Mader M, Chaignat V, Worwa G, Thuer B. (2008) Genetic charactezisation of toggenburg orbivirus: a new bluetongue virus from goats, Switzerland. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 14: 1855-61.
3. Boyce M, Celma CC, Roy P. (2008) Development of reverse genetics systems for bluetongue virus: recovery of infectious virus from synthetic RNA transcripts. J. Virol. 82; 8339-48
2. Hofmann MA, Renzullo S, Mader M, Chaignat V, Worwa G, Thuer B. (2008) Genetic charactezisation of toggenburg orbivirus: a new bluetongue virus from goats, Switzerland. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 14: 1855-61.
3. Boyce M, Celma CC, Roy P. (2008) Development of reverse genetics systems for bluetongue virus: recovery of infectious virus from synthetic RNA transcripts. J. Virol. 82; 8339-48
Find a scholarship to fund your dream Masters
Sign in to view and filter all scholarship opportunities
or
Continue with Facebook