Dr J Ironside
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Industrial partners:
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
The Natural History Museum, London (NHM)
Paramyxids are bizarre, poorly-studied parasites of marine organisms. In addition to causing serious disease in commercially important shellfish (oysters, cockles, mussels, etc.), they change the sex of some crustacean hosts from male to female. Paramyxid life cycles can be complex, with at least some species requiring both mollusc and crustacean hosts. The primary aim of this project is to discover new paramyxid species and describe the life cycles of existing species by examining potential marine invertebrate hosts. A secondary aim is to study the interactions of paramyxids with other parasites such as microsporidia. Understanding and predicting the transmission of paramyxids is important to the shellfish industry (both capture fisheries and aquaculture) and has the potential to inform and influence policy to control the spread of paramyxid disease.
Focussing upon ecosystems that are known to contain paramyxid parasites at high prevalence in at least one host species, the successful applicant will screen other potential host species for paramyxids and microsporidia using histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, in situ hybridization and molecular diagnostics. Where paramyxids are detected, breeding experiments will be performed in order to study vertical transmission and feminization. This information will be used to infer the life cycles and transmission pathways of the paramyxids and microsporidia, with a view to modelling and predicting their impacts upon host populations.
The successful applicant will receive training in molecular diagnostics and marine invertebrate breeding methodologies (IBERS), in histopathology, transmission electron microscopy and in situ hybridization (Cefas) and in taxonomy and systematics of marine invertebrates and their parasites (Cefas/NHM).
Funding Notes
The fully funded 3-year PhD scholarship pays university postgraduate tuition fees (currently £3,996pa) and a stipend of £13,863 tax free per year. Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a minimum of a first or upper-second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject (e.g. marine biology, biology, zoology, microbiology, genetics). Contact the lead supervisor Dr Joe Ironside ([Email Address Removed]) to discuss the project, or for general queries IBERS Postgraduate Co-ordinator Michelle Allen ([Email Address Removed]). For information on IBERS see http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/ and for how to apply see http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/ - please enter the lead supervisor name under “Project title applied for”.
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