Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of cloven-hooved animals with potentially catastrophic economic consequences. The disease is caused by FMD virus (FMDV) that is present in Africa, Asia and parts of South America. Whilst novel FMDV lineages frequently emerge, only a relatively small number go on to attain pandemic status as defined by a distribution covering multiple continents. A dramatic example is the O/ME-SA/Ind-2001 lineage that has recently emerged and has caused outbreaks in countries as far apart as Morocco, Mauritius and South Korea.
This project aims to understand why certain FMD viruses become highly successful compared to other co-circulating lineages. We hypothesise that genomic factors underpinning viral fitness enable certain viruses to supplant the existing strain(s) and spread across wide areas. If true, this information could help prioritise resources to control the spread of specific FMDV lineages.
To investigate this idea, the project will establish an in vitro model system that mimics natural evolutionary pressures to compare the growth of viruses that spread widely in the environment with viruses that exhibit a more geographically restricted distribution. This laboratory work will be complemented with analyses of viral genomic sequences to search for genetic determinants that underpin these phenotypes. The significance of these results will be tested using established reverse genetics systems.
This 3.5-year PhD studentship represents an exciting opportunity to study the molecular evolution of FMDV, while gaining experience of working in a high-containment laboratory. The successful candidate will receive training in virology, molecular biology and bioinformatics, and have the opportunity to present data at national and international conferences as well as access to career development and transferable skills training. The student will be part of established and supportive research groups at The Pirbright Institute and The University of Surrey that share expertise in the evolution of RNA viruses. The project will be supervised by Drs Andrew Shaw, Lidia Lasecka-Dykes and Donald King at The Pirbright Institute and Dr Daniel Horton at The University of Surrey. Highly motivated and passionate individuals are encouraged to apply to the Veterinary Medicine and Science PhD programme. Previous experience of working in a laboratory would be an advantage.
A 3.5-year funded studentship open to home and international students starting in October 2022. Funding includes stipend, home registration fees and a research grant.
More information on the School of Veterinary Medicine and The Pirbright Institute.
Entry requirements
A First or Upper Second-Class Honours degree from the UK (or equivalent qualification from international Institutions) or Masters degree in a relevant subject area.
English language requirements: An IELTS Academic of 6.5 or above with 6 in each individual category (or equivalent qualification from other agencies).
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the online application portal for Veterinary Medicine and Science.
This project is part of the Pathogens and Host Defenses Doctoral Training Partnership and you can express interest in one or two of the projects available via this scheme. When completing your application, in place of a research proposal, please provide a 1-page (maximum) document containing the project title(s) and supervisor name(s) of the project or two projects you have selected, together with an explanation of your motivations for wanting to study for a PhD and your reasons for selecting the project(s) you have chosen.
For those interested in the project described above, we strongly encourage informal enquiries to be sent to Dr Daniel Horton([Email Address Removed]) and Dr Andrew Shaw ([Email Address Removed]).
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