CASE Project: Novel biosensor technology for environmental surveillance of emerging infectious diseases

This project will be undertaken in collaboration with Zoological Society of London and includes a minimum 3-month placement based at the ZSL premises.

Emerging infectious diseases have a global impact on health, wellbeing, economic activity and agriculture. In some cases, they also represent major threats to biodiversity conservation. Effective strategies to predict and mitigate emerging infectious disease impacts requires capabilities for high throughput rapid detection and surveillance of pathogens in environmental samples. There is a pressing need for cheap, rapid pathogen detection technologies, which can be widely deployed and used by non-specialists to build up ubiquitous disease surveillance networks.

We will develop novel biosensor technology for real time detection of water borne pathogens, focusing on the ability of affimer nano-particle conjugates to bind pathogen antigens. Here the affimer molecule provides the mechanism for binding diagnostic antigens from specific pathogens of interest. When combined with nanoparticles incorporating various metal atoms, antigen binding triggers structural or other property changes in the conjugate, which can be detected by laser light or other means. This then forms the basis of a biosensor for pathogen detection that could be deployed as a cheap device for pathogen detection from environmental samples.

As a proof of concept system, we will focus on the amphibian pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, which are causing global declines in amphibian populations, and are regarded as one of the most critical disease threats to biodiversity. Improving capacity for surveillance for these pathogens is crucial to mitigating their impact. We will develop affimers that bind Batrachochytrium antigens, and test them with nanoparticle combinations for detecting them in environmental water samples. Successful combinations will be incorporated into prototype flow cell devices and trialled in controlled mesocosms, and ultimately real-world habitats. We will use the results for iterative refinement of the system, and to evaluate how we might design sensor networks to achieve desired levels of surveillance capacity and sensitivity, along with associated epidemiological data analysis pipelines.  

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Simon Goodman [Email Address Removed].

About YBDTP:

YBDTP brings together world-class bioscience research and innovation, as well as excellence in doctoral supervision, across the region. YBDTP will fund postgraduate researchers at the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Hull, Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam and Teesside forming a strong regional training partnership. In YBDTP you'll benefit from a regional doctoral training programme that has interdisciplinary collaboration at its core. The aim is to enable you to develop a range of research skills in biological, biotechnology and biochemical areas as well as equip you with core data analysis and professional skills that are necessary for bioscience research and related non-academic careers.

https://www.whiterose-mechanisticbiology-dtp.ac.uk/yorkshire-bioscience-dtp/

Funding Notes:

Funding: A tax-free annual stipend at the standard UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25 entry), research costs and tuition fees at UK rate

Academic year: 2025/26

Open to: International (including EU) and UK (home) students

Eligibility:

Open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students.

You can apply if you have, or are expecting to gain, at least an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this programme, we welcome applications if your background is in any biological, chemical or physical science or mathematics and are interested in using your skills in addressing biological questions. International students should check if they meet the entry requirements for their country.

We aim to support the most outstanding applicants from outside the UK and are able to offer a limited number of bursaries that will enable full studentships to be awarded to international (EU and non-EU) applicants. These full studentships will only be awarded to exceptional quality candidates, due to the competitive nature of this scheme. 

YBDTP is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.

Not all projects will be funded; a limited number of candidates will be appointed via a competitive process.

English language: If English isn't your first language, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.

How to apply:

Application deadline: 5pm, Friday 14th March 2025

To submit your application, click on the link to the Expression of Interest form in the Funding Notes section of any of your chosen projects. You can apply for up to 3 YBDTP projects (which can be at different universities).

We would advise you to read the questions in the form before submitting your application. Inside the form there is a link to a document for you to see the questions in advance.

If you have any questions about the application process, please email [Email Address Removed].

If you have any questions about the project you are interested in, please email the project supervisor (see project description).

How we allocate:

Shortlisting will take place as soon as possible after the closing date and successful applicants will be notified promptly. If you're shortlisted, you'll be invited for an interview on a date to be confirmed in February 2025. You'll be notified as soon as possible after the interview dates whether your application has been successful, placed on a reserve list or unsuccessful. If you are successful, you'll be required to confirm your intention to accept the studentship within 10 days.

Terms and conditions:

The studentships are fully funded for four years, and you must complete your PhD in four years.

You'll receive the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend per year for your living costs, which is paid in regular instalments. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stipend is tax free and does not need to be paid back.

International students will need to have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their student visa, NHS health surcharge, travel insurance and travel to the UK as these are excluded from UKRI funding.