Artificial intelligence-driven vaccine development to tackle the myxozoan parasite that causes proliferative kidney disease in farmed fish.

Myxozoan parasites are an unusual group of basal metazoan parasites causing severe disease in farmed fish species. Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae causes proliferative kidney disease (PKD) in salmonid fish throughout Europe and USA. Its definitive host are colonial invertebrates called bryozoans. Spores from bryozoans along with fish infection and disease are tightly coupled to seasonally elevated water temperatures. Thus, disease spread, and severity has escalated in recent years due to climate change including an increase the parasite’s host range to non-salmonid fish.

PKD control is currently limited to pre-exposure programs on fish farms. However, a vaccine is the only long-term sustainable way of controlling the disease. Aberdeen researchers have developed parasite functional genomic resources for both hosts in the parasite’s lifecycle. A functional annotation pipeline has been developed to better understand transcripts and proteins the parasite expresses, especially during clinical disease within fish hosts. Given the parasite genome possesses many genes that encode orphan proteins, bioinformatic approaches have been extended to interrogate these based on sequence features associated with virulence and surface expression. This has already yielded a partially protective fish-specific orphan antigen in vaccine trials to date. Recent functional studies have revealed the protein to be a novel self-translocating virulence effector of fish lymphoid cells in infected kidney tissue, which is a first in the study of metazoan parasites.

The successful applicant will work alongside a post-doctoral researcher as part of a current EU (Cure4Aqua) project. Dr Kim Thompson (Moredun Institute) is an expert in fish vaccinology and will be the second supervisor on this project. This project will focus on further datamining of transcriptome assemblies and bioinformatic shortlisting of additional fish stage specific orphan antigens. Vaccine candidates will be generated as recombinants and will undergo immunoscreening via lab immunization and parasite challenge models using fish aquaria facilities at Aberdeen and at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. Initially, signs of immune recognition will be obtained ex-vivo by re-exposing fish leucocytes to antigen following immunization. Immune and parasite gene expression profiling, cell proliferation assays, histological techniques, western blotting, and indirect ELISAs will be undertaken to determine correlates of immune recognition. This approach will further refine vaccine candidates for artificial intelligence selection of optimal protein epitopes to express via a cutting-edge recombinant epitope expression platform developed at Aberdeen for Covid-19 therapeutics (https://epitogenx.com/). Lab-and field-based vaccination and parasite challenge trials will be undertaken with the epitope-based vaccine incorporating molecular adjuvants to boost immunogenicity.

Candidate Background:

Applicants should hold at least a 2:1 honours degree in biological sciences with emphasis on fish aquaculture, immunology, and molecular biology. Applicants with a first-class degree and/or a master’s qualification are particularly encouraged to apply.   

Experience in the following is desirable:

• Molecular biological techniques.
• Statistical analysis using R or equivalent.
• Field work studies
• Bioinformatics, including Linux OS and RNA-Seq analysis pipelines.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team. Informal enquiries are encouraged, please contact Dr Jason Holland (j.holland@abdn.ac.uk) for further information.

---------------------------------

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please note: This is a self-funded opportunity.

• Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php
• You should apply for Biological Sciences (PhD) to ensure your application is passed to the correct team.
• Please clearly note the name of the supervisor and the project title on the application form. If this is not included, your application may not be considered for the project.
• Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) at undergraduate level.
• Your application must include: a personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.
• You do not need to provide a research proposal as part of your application.
• Please note: we are unable to respond to requests for funding assistance.
• If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at pgrs-admissions@abdn.ac.uk