Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now

  (BBSRC DTP) The Development of Analytical Tools to Understand Parasitic Infections


   Department of Chemistry

This project is no longer listed on FindAPhD.com and may not be available.

Click here to search FindAPhD.com for PhD studentship opportunities
  Prof S Flitsch, Prof Richard Grencis, Prof P Barran  No more applications being accepted  Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

About the Project

This proposal aims to develop generic tools for understanding parasitic nematode infections, a major health problem in the developing world, particular in parts of Africa. We will focus on a protein, P43 that has been identified by the Grencis group as key to whipworm infections. Its role in infections suggests that P43 would be a novel target for therapeutic interventions, but further development is hampered by lack of understanding of the structure-function relationships. Preliminary results suggest that glycosylation plays an important role in function of P43, which this study will investigate. The analysis is particular demanding because glycan analysis and investigation of carbohydrate-binding proteins lacks off-the-shelf technology. The Flitsch and Barran groups have developed a number of tools to address protein-glycan interactions, in particular the use of glycan arrays (Nat.Chem., 2014. DOI:10.1038/NCHEM.1817; JACS, 2012. DOI:10.1021/ja211861m) which will be applied here. This interdisciplinary project will provide the students with skills in state-of-the-art analytical methods, in particular mass spectrometry.

www.flitschlab.com

Contact for further Information
For more details contact Professor Sabine Flitsch ([Email Address Removed])

Funding Notes

This project is to be funded under the BBSRC Doctoral Training Programme. If you are interested in this project, please make direct contact with the Principal Supervisor to arrange to discuss the project further as soon as possible. You MUST also submit an online application form, full details on how to apply can be found on the BBSRC DTP website http://www.dtpstudentships.manchester.ac.uk/

Applications are invited from UK/EU nationals only. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.

How good is research at The University of Manchester in Chemistry?


Research output data provided by the Research Excellence Framework (REF)

Click here to see the results for all UK universities