Characterisation of Lactococcal and Streptococcal proteins critical for fish pathogenesis

The project will be based at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham and is part of an exciting research partnership with the Benchmark Animal Health.

Fish are a primary food source recognised for excellent nutritional value and health-promoting qualities and the aquaculture industry has rapidly expanded to now supply around 50% of the world’s food fish. In order to maintain high levels of productivity, effective disease control is essential. This studentship will characterise genes and proteins essential for causing Streptococcosis, a highly infectious bacterial disease and will focus on Lactococcus garvieae, Streptococcus iniae and Streptococcus agalactiae; species which cause significant morbidity and mortality in both marine and fresh water fish.

The overall aim of this study is to identify components for protective vaccine and diagnostic test development for more effective disease control of Streptococcosis. This will be achieved using a combination of random bacterial mutagenesis and high throughput sequencing using a bespoke laboratory and bioinformatic analysis programme we have developed called PIMMS. Using this programme, the entire set of bacterial genes that are essential for bacterial survival in fish serum will be identified; genes which are likely to be involved in disease progression. Further characterisation studies on the role of these genes and the proteins they encode will be conducted to determine their suitability for future control strategies.

The successful applicant will have a strong background in basic microbiology and related molecular techniques and a keen interest in bioinformatics and machine learning based techniques to analyse complex data sets. Experience in the aquaculture sector and/or fish pathology would be an advantage. Further details are available on request.

Project partner: Benchmark Animal Health

Principal supervisors: Dr Sharon Egan, Professor James Leigh and Dr Michael Fontaine
Potential applicants are invited to contact the supervisors, Dr Sharon Egan ([Email Address Removed]) or Professor James Leigh ([Email Address Removed]) for further information.

Queries regarding the application process should be addressed directly to Postgraduate Admissions Officer ([Email Address Removed]) or Dr Sharon Egan ([Email Address Removed]).