BBSRC EASTBIO CASE - Transcriptomic analysis of pigs with altered NF-KB signalling

African Swine Fever is a devastating haemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs caused by the African Swine Fever Virus. Warthogs, a natural reservoir for the virus, are susceptible to infection but do not exhibit significant pathology. A candidate screen for genetic variation underlying this species-specific difference in response to infection identified RELA, a major component of NF-KB transcription factor complex (Palgrave et al., 2011). This genetic variability in the transactivation domains of the warthog protein have now been successfully incorporated into the genome of the domestic pig using gene editing technology (Lillico et al., 2016).

It is anticipated that modification of the RELA transactivation domains will alter the transcriptional profile of the edited animals, both under normal physiological conditions and following pathogen challenge. In order to investigate impacts on immune response the student will select and collect a range of tissue samples to be analysed by RNA-seq, highlighting differentially expressed transcripts between our genome edited animals and wild type counterparts. Using these data the student will be expected to design a further series of experiments using techniques such as immunohistochemistry and proteome analysis.

Completed application forms along with your curriculum vitae should be sent to our PGR student team at [Email Address Removed]

Reference Request Form – please fill in your name and send the form to two academic referees. Your referees should send the completed forms to our PGR student team at [Email Address Removed]

Downloads:
Application form - http://www.roslin.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/eastbio/eastbio-application-form-2017.doc

Reference request form - http://www.roslin.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/eastbio/eastbio-reference-request-form-2017.doc