Supervisor name & contact details:
Research Centre:
Research Centre website:
Link to Arrow
Name Gary Henehan, Barry Ryan,
Tel 014024379
Email Gary.Henehan@dit.ie
,
Barry.Ryan@dit.ie
School of Food Science and Environmental
Health
Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. http://www.dit.ie/fseh/
Please add the link to your publications in
Arrow
Prof. Gary Henehan http://arrow.dit.ie/do/search/?q=author_lnam e%3A%22Henehan%22%20author_fname%3A
%22Gary%22&start=0&context=490738
Dr. Barry Ryan http://arrow.dit.ie/do/search/?q=author_lnam e%3A%22Ryan%22%20AND%20author_fname
%3A%22Barry%22&start=0&context=490738& sort=date_desc
Brief summary of research centre activity:
In our School we carry out a broad range of research from Food Innovation to Nutraceuticals,
Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Health.
Research is broadly in the area of human health and its interaction with Food and the
Environment.

Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Novel Inhibitors of Shaker Potassium Channels
Potassium channels are the most widely distributed type of ion channel and are found in virtually all living organisms. Disorders of the channel are involved in a number of disease states from convulsive disorders to atrial fibrillation.
Recent work in this laboratory has characterized an important regulatory subunit of this channel (see Substrate profiling and aldehyde dismutase activity of the Kvβ2 subunit of
the mammalian Kv1 potassium channel. Alka K, Ryan BJ, Dolly JO, Henehan GT. Int J
Biochem Cell Biol. 2010). A number of recent studies have pointed out that inhibitors of the Kvβ2 subunit are of considerable interest as drug targets.
Preliminary work in this laboratory has identified a number of potential lead compounds as Kvβ2 subunit inhibitors using a direct turnover assay method. We now wish to extend these studies to examine a wider range of potential inhibitors and to characterize the kinetics of inhibition.
In this project we will explore a range of Kvβ2 inhibitors and characterise their kinetics.
This work will involve several discrete stages:
1.
Screening of lead compound derivatives for inhibition of Kvβ2
2.
Kinetic characterisation of inhibitors of Kvβ2
3.
Influence of K inhibitors on channel activity/inactivation
This is an area of considerable commercial interest that has the potential to generate novel therapies. .
Unique selling points of PhD project at DIT:
DIT projects should offer an innovative research experience and other benefits that are not available in Brazil – specific equipment, multi-disciplinarity, structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research groups etc.
This research centre uniquely has a multidisciplinary group of scientists with a strong emphasis on Pharmaceuticals research. This research underpins a unique Pharmaceutical Healthcare BSc programme in The School.
The researchers have experience of the applications of assay methods for this subunit and the unique blend of analytical chemistry and molecular biology required to address this area of research.

This work has commercial potential and the close links between DIT and the Pharmaceutical industry is a distinct advantage.
Please indicate the student requirements for this project
E.g. min. 2.1 BSc in Chemical Sciences
A student with a good background in Biochemistry or Analytical Chemistry would be suitable.
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)
Health and Biomedical Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters
Biodiversity and Bioprospection
Marine Sciences
X

Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Capacity Building for technological personnel