About the Project
We have developed a unique Experimental Human Pneumococcal Carriage (EHPC) model. In this model volunteers are nasally inoculated with live pneumococcus resulting in approximately 50% of inoculated subjects developing nasopharyngeal carriage - at a density typical of natural carriage and for between 1 and 3 weeks. We showed that carriage in healthy adults was an immunising event and protected volunteers against reacquisition of pneumococcus. We are now expanding the use of this model to study changes in immune responses of subjects susceptible to pneumococcal disease (influenza co-infection, asthmatics and the elderly). This will help us to develop new improved vaccines.
This studentship offers the opportunity for immunology students to work in a dynamic multi-disciplinary team collaborating with several national and international research experts.
Funding Notes
Studentships are for full time students only and for a period of three years. Students will receive an award equivalent to the Research Council stipend (Home/EU level) and a contribution towards their running costs of £5,000 per year.
LSTM will fund fees for students supported by these studentships at the Home/EU level. There will be no additional funding available for students requiring international fees. Applicants paying international level fees will need to find additional funding from alternative sources.
The studentships will be awarded to excellent students following a rigorous short-listing procedure and interview process.
References
5 key publications that relate to this project
Controlled human infection and rechallenge with Streptococcus pneumoniae reveals the protective efficacy of carriage in healthy adults. Ferreira DM, Neill DR, Bangert M, Gritzfeld JF, Green N, Wright AK, Pennington SH, Bricio-Moreno L, Moreno AT, Miyaji EN, Wright AD, Collins AM, Goldblatt D, Kadioglu A, Gordon SB. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013 Apr 15;187(8):855-64. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201212-2277OC.
Human nasal challenge with Streptococcus pneumoniae is immunising in the absence of carriage. Ferreira DM, Wright AK, Gritzfeld JF, Wright AD, Armitage K, Jambo KC, Bate E, El Batrawy S, Collins A, Gordon SB. PLoS Pathog. 2012;8(4):e1002622. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002622. Epub 2012 Apr 5.
Experimental human pneumococcal carriage models for vaccine research.Ferreira DM, Jambo KC, Gordon SB. Trends Microbiol. 2011 Sep;19(9):464-70. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Jul 23. Review.
Density and duration of experimental human pneumococcal carriage. Gritzfeld JF, Cremers AJ, Ferwerda G, Ferreira DM, Kadioglu A, Hermans PW, Gordon SB.Clin Microbiol Infect. 2014 Jul 4. doi: 10.1111/1469-0691.12752
Experimental human pneumococcal carriage models for vaccine research. Ferreira DM, Jambo KC, Gordon SB. Trends Microbiol. 2011 Sep;19(9):464-70. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2011.06.003.