Dr L A J Mur
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Bovine tuberculosis is caused by the infection of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle. The Welsh Government is committed to a “long-term goal of eradicating bovine TB in Wales” This is strongly based on a rigorous testing programme. However, BTB is a difficult disease to diagnose. The most commonly used is the (SICCT); commonly known as the tuberculin skin test. However, the SICCT will at best only detect approximately 80% of infected cattle at any one time and can only be repeated 60 days following an original test. Both the lack of sensitivity and the long re-test period, could lead to undisclosed animal remaining in infected farms, which would lead to persistent herd breakdowns. The outcomes of the proposal will be an improved understanding of the infection biology of BTB and underpin the development of diagnostic test platforms for this disease.
ProTem (Dr. David Rooke) has developed many, point of use tests which deliver results in minutes. Rooke and Mur have initiated collaborations with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as they are GB’s National Laboratory and an OIE Reference Laboratory for BTB. APHA have been involved, together with a variety of national and international collaborators in research activities to improve the diagnosis of BTB in cattle. The project is therefore of paramount interest to each of the sponsors.
In the first year, the research student will join an established team in the IBERS High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. (S)he will receive thorough training in discovery platforms using Proteomic approaches on a gel-free system as well as metabolome profiling and fingerprinting technologies. During the initial phase, the student will acquire sample processing, instrumental analysis and data analysis skills. The student will visit collaborators ProTem and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to familiarize her/himself with sampling procedures, the nature and interpretation of known Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) tests as well as experimental design strategies suitable for biomarkers discovery. The designing of initial experiments in the following months will help identifying potential diagnostic biomarker targets. Further field trials will then determine the robustness of these newly identified potential biomarkers alongside routine testing methods. The long-term ambition of the project is the generation of targeted assays for any confirmed biomarkers that can be widely applied, independent of the large functional genomic platforms that have been used to discover the biomarkers.
Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) is a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by Bangor University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys.
The successful candidate will need to be resident in the convergence area on registration, and must have the right to work in the region on qualification. The successful applicant should have a minimum of a 1st or good 2:1 in a relevant degree, and be available to take up the studentship by October 2018. The project is part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the European Union’s Convergence programme administered by the Welsh Government. KESS II PhD scholarships are collaborative awards with external partners. (Applicants need to only apply, they do not need to search for partners).
To apply, please submit the following to the Postgraduate Admissions Office (address below) by 23 February 2018.
1. A completed Research Programme Application Form, two references. Application and reference forms may be downloaded from http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/
2. A completed KESS II Participant proposal form (put the reference number AU30015 in the top right hand box of the application form) and an up-to-date CV. KESS II application forms are available to download at the link below.
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/rbi/business/services/initiatives/kess/currentscholarshipvacanciesandapplicationforms/
3. A PhD proposal of up to 1,000 words where you expand on your experience and interests and describe why you are a good candidate for this research studentship. Please refer to the Project Description.
Funding Notes
Eligibility: To be eligible to apply for a KESS II award, you must be resident, upon starting the scholarship, in the Convergence Area of Wales and you must be able to take paid employment in the Convergence area on completion of the scholarship.
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