Dr M Dionne, Dr T Southall
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Infections and immune activation drive dramatic changes in metabolic status in all animals. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes are often unknown. The Dionne lab has performed significant prior work exploring the interaction between immune responses and metabolic regulation in Drosophila. We have previously demonstrated a remarkable switching mechanism between metabolic and immune physiological function in response to infection. However, we have been unable to get a clear genome-scale understanding of how this switch between metabolic and immune function works due to difficulty in tissue isolation and the complexities of data analysis. In this project, the student will use techniques developed by Dr. Southall’s lab that allow tissue-specific identification of chromatin accessibility changes and gene expression patterns to precisely identify the transcriptional changes that occur in response to bacterial infection in two different immune-responsive tissues (Drosophila macrophages and fat body). They will then use computational techniques developed in the Dionne lab to identify and predict key transcription factors underlying the observed transcriptional responses. Finally, the student will use in vivo infection and immunity assays to determine the true biological roles of the implicated transcription factors in the immunometabolic response to infection.
How to apply
Initial applications should include a full CV, names, addresses and contact details of two academic referees, a personal statement (500 words max) and a covering letter.
Completed applications should be submitted to the DTP Team via email ([Email Address Removed]) by 5pm on the 10th February 2017.
Please note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted by the project supervisors.
Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be sent to Dr Marc Dionne [Email Address Removed]
Funding Notes
Applicants are expected to hold, or to be awarded a first class or a good upper second class BSc Degree, or an equivalent qualification, by October 2017.
The studentships are offered on a 1+3 basis (1 Year of Masters study followed by 3 years of PhD Research). In every case, the Masters Course will commence in October 2017 followed by the commencement of the PhD in October 2018. Only UK and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements are eligible to apply (minimum of three years of continuous residency in the UK immediately prior to the start of the PhD). Non-EU nationals are not eligible.
The studentships cover: (i) an annual tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council rate, (ii) contribution towards research costs, and (iii) tuition fees at the UK/EU rate.
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