This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SWBio DTP).
Project Description:
Shrimp is one of the most valuable seafood products, representing a market of £20 billion per year. Around 55 % of the global shrimp production comes from farming, which generates valuable incomes in many countries.
However, emerging infectious disease threaten this industry; pathogens such as the bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus cause hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) by developing in the digestive tract of farmed shrimps and secreting toxins. Currently, solutions to control the spread of infection in aquacultures are limited to water disinfection using antibiotics or ozone, or providing antibacterial plant extracts, immunostimulants, and probiotics food supplements to the crustaceans -mainly bacteria and microalgae. None of those techniques is both sustainable and very efficient.
So far, the most conclusive solution to limit V. parahaemolyticus infections consists of inducing a passive immunisation of shrimp by adding anti-Vibrio antibodies to their food. These tests are currently still at the research stage. In one study, antibodies were generated by infecting a fish with the vibrio’s toxin. Following infections, the gene sequences encoding the antibodies were isolated and transformed into Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) cell platforms. Antibodies were then produced by those HEK cells cultured in bioreactors, purified, and added to the shrimp food pellets. This approach is not economically viable when scaled up. However, this antibody could be produced and delivered directly within a microalga. This would be an ideal alternative since microalgae have two major advantages: they require inexpensive growth conditions, and several species can be used to produce recombinant proteins.
This project consists in producing fish antibodies in microalgae and show how microalgal synthetic biology can lead to new treatment solutions for the aquaculture sector. Various genetic sequences of a previously characterised anti-Vibrio antibody will be cloned into DNA constructs for transformation in microalgae. Several new signal peptides will be identified using bioinformatic methods in order to address the antibody localisation within specific cellular compartments. The antibody’s affinity towards its target will be measured from microalgal crude extracts and after purification, to compare with the HEK cells’ version. Once the most suitable clones are identified, similar analysis will be reproduced after scaling up the cultures and freeze-drying the cells.
Upon completion of this PhD, the applicant can expect to have created a new cell platform that can be used for shrimp treatment trials. They will also have developed various molecular tools and methods that will be shared with the microalgae research community.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a fully-funded studentship, you must meet both the academic and residence criteria.
A fully-funded four year SWBio DTP studentship will cover
• a stipend* at the standard Research Council UK rate; currently £15,609 per annum for 2022-23
• research and training costs
• tuition fees (at the standard Research Councils UK rate)
• additional funds to support fieldwork, conferences and a 3-month internship
Please refer to the regulations or Annex 1 of the Research Council Training Grant Guide to confirm that you meet the residence criteria for a fully-funded studentship. Any further queries in relation to residency must be directed to the institution that you are applying to.
* An enhanced stipend is available for students with a recognised veterinary degree qualification (£24,090 per annum for 2022--2023). There may also be enhanced stipends associated with projects that have a CASE partner (CASE projects are highlighted as *CASE in the project lists).
Entry Requirements
Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Masters degree or have significant relevant non-academic experience.
In addition, due to the strong mathematical component of the taught course in the first year and the quantitative emphasis in our projects, a minimum of a grade B in A-level Maths or an equivalent qualification or experience is required.
Equivalent qualifications/experience
Physics A-level (grade B and above)
Undertaking units as part of your degree that have a significant mathematical component*
*Significant mathematical component examples include; maths, statistics, bioinformatics.
Applicants must ensure they highlight their Maths background within their application and to upload any supporting evidence.
Language Requirements
If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS and no less than 6.5 in any section by the start of the project. Alternative tests may be acceptable, please see http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/language-requirements/profile-c/.
How to apply
In order to formally apply for the PhD Project you will need to go to the following web page.
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=4285
The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 6th December 2021.
Interviews will be held between Monday 24th January – Friday 4th February 2022.
If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email [Email Address Removed] or phone: 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers) or +44 (0) 1392 723044 (EU/International callers). Project-specific queries should be directed to the main supervisor.
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