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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that
your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
Dr. Shane O’Connell
& Professor Charles Spillane
Plant & AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC),
C306 Aras de Brun,
National University of Ireland Galway,
Galway,
Ireland.
[T] +353-91-494148
[E] charles.spillane@nuigalway.ie
[E]shane.oconnell@staff.ittralee.ie
www.plantagbiosciences.org
School:
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
School of Natural Sciences
http://www.nuigalway.ie/natural_sciences/research.html
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Yes
Plant & AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC)
Research group / centre website:
www.plantagbiosciences.org
PI website / link to CV:
www.plantagbiosciences.org
http://www.brandonproducts.com/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
If you are already involved in relevant scholarly activities relating to Brazil, please mention them here.
Professor Charles Spillane is the Chair of Plant Science in the National University of Ireland Galway
(NUI Galway), and Head of the Plant & AgriBiosciences Research Centre in NUI Galway. Prof
Spillane’s Genetics & Biotechnology lab conducts both fundamental and applied research on topics
of genetic, epigenetic and/or biotechnological topics. The lab team conducts internationally
competitive genetics research on plant, microalgal and animal systems with a range of national and
international partners (including Brazilian institutions). See: www.spillanelab.org
Dr. Shane O’Connell is a Principal Investigator in the Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre at
NUI Galway and also at the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre in the Institute of Technology
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Tralee Ireland. Shannon ABC is a commercially focused, state of the art, research centre. Shannon
ABC’s modus operandi is to explore natural products for novel bioactive substances of value to the
Healthcare, Forensic, Pharmaceutical, Food, Cosmetics, Agricultural, Environmental and Bio-Energy
Industry. Shannon ABC was established to offer expertise and state-of-the-art resources to
companies keen to develop and improve their competitive edge. Dr O’Connell’s team focus on the
bioprocessing of algal biomass and other natural materials for the development of novel
biostimulants for use in enhancing crop yields.
Both Dr. O’Connell and Prof. Spillane work closely with the algal biosciences company Brandon
Products which manufactures a range of biostimulants for plant health. Brandon is a progressive
Irish marine biotechnology company founded in 1998 to commercialise outcomes of university
Research and Development projects based on the use of extracts from Ascophyllum nodosum for
better crop performance. The company has expanded its partnership with research providers over
the past ten years and availed of assistance under both national (Enterprise Ireland) and EU funded
programmes for Research, Development and Innovation. Since its inception the company has been
export orientated and has a technical sales presence in 33 countries worldwide with Brazil being a
major market for the company.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
The role of Ascophyllum nodosum extracts (ANE) on the uniformity of fruit size development and
evenness of ripening.
Physiological effects such as uniformity of fruit size and evenness of ripening are phenotypic responses elicited
by seaweed extracts are frequently reported in peer reviewed literature for a number of crops including citrus,
tomato, potato and grape. Possible mechanism(s) of bioactivity suggested have been modulation of
phytohomones, increase of photosynthetic efficiency and carbohydrate assimilation and delayed senescence.
However, an understanding of the functional genomic basis for such extract-elicited physiological responses
are largely unknown. As genomes of a number of plants are now completely sequenced or nearing
completion, it is possible to look at the effects of Ascophyllum nodosum extracts and components on the
whole genome/transcriptome of plants to better understand the role of ANEs on fruit set, uniformity of
growth and evenness of ripening mechanisms. The PhD project will explore the application of ANE as a foliar
treatment. Projected outputs from this project would include a mode of action to account for these claimed
observations, further development of formulations to enhance this activity and comprehensive field trial data
to support the economic gain for the end user arising from increased yields.
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
NUI Galway projects should emphasise features that are not typically available in Brazil – specific equipment,
multi-disciplinarity, aspects of structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research
groups etc.
The PhD project will strategically position the student for a successful career in biotechnology. The Plant and
AgriBiosciences Centre has hosted three PhD students from Brazil in the past five years. The Plant and
AgriBiosciences Centre publishes in high-impact international journals which improves the competitiveness of
the researchers within the Lab. The PhD student will be located in the context of the Plant & AgriBiosciences
Research Centre which has a dynamic mix of research groups and researchers, working with industrial and
institutional partners to advance plant and agribiosciences innovations.
The structured PhD program in NUI Galway allows students to get high-quality English language training and
training in additional science skills including statistics, science communication and advanced molecular
biosciences. NUI Galway is one of the top universities in Ireland with almost 18,000 students and 2200 staff,
and has regularly won accolades such as being nominated as the Sunday Times University of the Year. Galway
is a small, safe and friendly city, with a vibrant cultural scene and the largest Brazilian population in Ireland.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please contact Dr. Shane O’Connell and Prof Charles Spillane (details above)
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Biochemistry, biotechnology, plant molecular biology, plant genetics, plant sciences
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)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
X
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): Y
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): N
Suitable for either/Don’t know: _____