Functional characterisation of novel antimicrobial and immunomodulatory peptides

Teagasc and Trinity College Dublin have developed a strong collaborative ‘One Health’ research program with opportunities at both PhD and postdoctoral levels. Key to controlling zoonotic infections is to reduce the burden of disease at source, and enormous potential exists for research impact on bovine immunology to enhance sustainable livestock production and also to protect the food chain & human health.

Our research has identified novel bioactive peptides with potential for treating bacterial and viral infections. PhD2 will focus on developing expression systems for these peptides, characterisation of their biological activity and testing their efficacy using antimicrobial assays. PhD2 will be primarily based in TCD and a period of collaborative work will also be performed in UCD.

Successful applicants will benefit from multi-disciplinary training to enable the development of cutting edge skills. Combining state of the art techniques in bacteriology, virology and immunology, these projects will form an important foundation for improved understanding of the immune response in cattle. There is also an important focus on translation and industrial application. Large animal work is a not required component of this work as the research programme is well supported on Teagasc research farms. Applicants should have a (2.1-1st class) B.Sc. with experience in genetics, immunology, molecular biology or a related discipline. Expertise in cell culture and flow cytometry as well as proficiency in quantitative genetics (PDoc) would be useful.