Funded PhD Studentship: An advanced multi-cellular and dynamic flow model of the human air-blood barrier

Swansea University is a UK top 30 institution for research excellence (Research Excellence Framework 2014), and has been named Welsh University of the Year 2017 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

Subject areas: In Vitro Systems; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; Toxicology; Particles

Interview date: 19 June 2017

Project start date: 1 October 2017

Within the last five years, there has been a paradigm shift in the need for alternative in vitro technologies to understand the impact of xenobiotics, such as inhaled particulate, upon human health. Advanced in vitro models of different regions of important organs within the human body have received increased interest since they have been postulated to provide a significant advantage in the trend to move away from classical in vivo testing strategies. The aim of this studentship is to create two advanced in vitro models; (i) of the alveolar region of the human lung, and (ii) of the human bloodstream. The purpose of creating these independent models is then to combine them to formulate a novel air-blood barrier in vitro model for toxicological-based research strategies. These objectives will be met using a variety of analytical approaches including, but not limited to advanced cell culture (including microfluidics), a variety of light, fluorescent (confocal) and electron microscopy, and biochemical assays (ELISA, qPCR, Western Blot and fluorescent-based plate-reader assays), as well as flow cytometry. This project is a collaboration between Swansea University Medical School (Dr. Martin Clift and Prof. Shareen Doak) and Unilever (Dr. Paul Fowler). The student will be placed in the In Vitro Toxicology Group at SUMS, but also undertake placement(s) at Unilever during the studentship. The project is fully funded for 3 years.

This studentship is fully funded by Unilever (SEAC), UK.