About the Project
This is a full time, 3-year PhD project funded by Tenovus, and will be conducted at Cardiff University. The proposal involves 3 Schools (of Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bioscience) providing in depth expertise in exosome-biology, endocytosis and drug delivery, molecular biology and high-end microscopy systems. Collectively, the 3 highly experienced supervisors (Clayton, Jones and Watson) will guide the candidate through a unique training experience, providing excellent cell biological techniques, highly transferable to other disciplines. The project will contribute to the basic understanding of cell communication systems in cancer, and provide scope for future translational developments in the realm of drug delivery.
Background
The exosome research group in Cardiff is well established, and has an interest in understanding the cell-to-cell communication function of nano-vesicles (exosomes) in cancer progression. We are particularly interested in the capacity of vesicles to activate cancer-associated stromal cells; driving these to become myofibroblasts with tumour-promoting features. Yet, the details of vesicle interactions with fibroblasts are poorly understood. The drug delivery group (Prof AT Jones) provides extensive expertise in endocytosis and related uptake pathways, and has bespoke reagents for manipulating selective aspects of uptake to enhance and inhibit delivery of macromolecules into cells. Expertise in membrane traffic, provided by Dr Peter Watson, will utilise high resolution fluorescence microscopy to map the fate of acquired exosomes.
Project
The project will investigate how cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles interact with recipient cells (e.g. fibroblasts), and transit the plasma membrane by endocytosis or other mechanisms.
We aim to map the pathways of uptake in detail, using con-focal and other microscopic approaches, and modulate uptake using siRNA and other manipulations.
We will explore the loading of RNA-cargo into the vesicles, and explore methods to enhance or impede the delivery of the cargo, and assess the functional impact of delivery.
The project has implications for basic mechanisms of disease, but also a translational element in the use of such vesicles as drug delivery vectors.
About the School / Research Centre
The candidate will join a lively research unit investigating varied aspects of cancer including cancer immunology, biomarkers, and the cancer microenvironment, housed within Cancer & Genetics as part of the School of Medicine. There is a substantial postgraduate student body (over 100 students), which benefit from extensive training opportunities through workshops, conferences and taught courses including the Biomedical Research Methods course. The unit has extensive links within other schools of Cardiff University, as well as national interactions with several UK universities and with international collaborators and with industrial partners; forming a sound network for additional learning/training and future job opportunities.
This project will be supervised by Dr Aled Clayton, School of Medicine, Cardiff University
Professor Arwyn T Jones, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University
Dr Peter Watson, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University
Please send a CV and a covering letter to [Email Address Removed]
Funding Notes
UK/EU tuition fees (if applicable, any eligible non-EU candidates must fund the remainder of the overseas fee)
Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£14057 p.a. for 2015/16, updated each year)