RUBYU18FMH: Intestinal Sugar and Fat Metabolism in Obesity: Role of Carboxylesterase 2

Are you interested in how our bodies interact with their environment to influence health and disease? The intestine is one of the largest interfaces between our physiology and environmental factors such as nutrients and medications. A PhD opportunity is available in the multi-disciplinary Norwich Medical School to study how intestinal carboxylesterase activity influences nutrient handling.

While carboxylesterases are best known for their role in breaking down foreign chemicals, we recently discovered that carboxylesterase 2 also breaks down fat (1). We showed that decreased carboxylesterase 2 activity in human liver promotes poor glucose control and accumulation of toxic lipids. Carboxylesterase 2 is most abundant in the intestine but nothing is known about the role of intestinal carboxylesterase 2 in sugar and fat metabolism. We will use a translational approach to uncover the role of intestinal carboxylesterase 2 in the absorption of dietary fat and progression of obese-related metabolic disease. This work will be carried out in patient material and sophisticated in vitro models of intestinal function. You will also learn standard molecular biology techniques, as well as metabolic flux and chemical biology analyses.

We believe that curiosity, enthusiasm and a growth mind-set are the most important ingredients for success, although laboratory experience in molecular biology or biochemistry would not hurt. If you would like to know more, take a look at our earlier work (1) and see if this is the type of translational work interests you. I would be delighted to discuss this position further at [Email Address Removed].


Type of programme: PhD

Project start date: October 2018

Mode of study: Full time

Entry requirements: Acceptable first degree - Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Medicine, Toxicology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Nutrition.
The standard minimum entry requirement is 2:1.