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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 Cyril Carroll
Enteric Pathogen Research Laboratory
Email: cyril.carroll@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353 91 492277
Dr Maria Tuohy
Molecular Glycobiotechnology Group,
Email: maria.tuohy@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353 91 492439
School:
School of Natural Sciences
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed
registration school?
Yes
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Infectious Disease and Immunity Cluster.
Discipline of Microbiology.
Discipline of Biochemistry.
Research group / centre
website:
http://ncbes.eurhost.net/infectious-disease.aspx
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology
http://www.nuigalway.ie/biochemistry
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/dr__cyril_v__carroll.html
http://www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/eprllab.html
http://www.nuigalway.ie/biochemistry/staff/tuohy/index.html
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.
The PI research is based on bacterial pathogens with specific focus on Campylobacter jejuni.
Research includes: Detection and Epidemiology of Campylobacter spp.; Adaptive Tolerance
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Response in Campylobacter spp.; Biofilm formation; Bioactive Ingredients from Algal Sources Assessment of the effects of seaweed extracts as novel antimicrobial tools to limit Campylobacter
infection of poultry. The co-PI has and her research group have a strong track record in the
biotechnology of polysaccharides from terrestrial plants and marine algae. The group has developed
methods to isolate, purify/characterize, enzymatically functionalize (‘Glycobioengineering’) and
investigate the mechanism of action of bioactive polysaccharides from Macroalgae. With
collaborators, the group also investigates the bioactive properties of these compounds.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Use of novel marine extracts in reducing Campylobacter colonisation of broilers.
Campylobacter jejuni infections are now the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis reported in
the world. Epidemiological evidence suggests poultry-meat to be a primary source of Campylobacter
infection. Broiler chickens are the largest potential source of C. jejuni. Campylobacter counts of up
to 106 per carcass are common in broilers. Carcass contamination is correlated with intestinal C.
jejuni numbers, and it is estimated that a reduction of intestinal C. jejuni counts with 2 log10 would
result in a 30-fold decrease of human campylobacteriosis cases. Preliminary research at NUI Galway
has identified and produced antimicrobial marine extracts with the ability to reduce or eliminate a
human bacterial pathogen commonly carried by poultry. This study will further develop and
investigate these novel marine extracts for their ability to reduce intestinal Campylobacter
colonisation of broilers. Research will involve further detailed characterization of the extracts,
studies to correlate structure with function, determining their effect on Campylobacter survival and
growth, as well as determining their effects on the Campylobacter proteome and transcriptome and
on chick colonisation. The research will involve collaboration with Brazil (comparison of extracts
from Brazilian and Irish sources). In addition, the proposed research is of relevance to Brazil as an
important chicken exporting country, and it may suggest novel ways that the food industry can
eliminate, or prevent, these bacteria from the human food chain.
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.
NUI Galway offers a four-year Structured `PhD programme – with added learning structures to
enhance the scientific researcher.
Within NUIGalway Dr Carroll’s Group is a member of the Infectious Disease research Cluster, while
Dr. Tuohy’s Group is a member of the Plant and AgriBiosciences Cluster, both of which will facilitate
cross fertilisation of techniques and offers a forum for discussion both within Microbiology,
Biochemistry and across other disciplines. Within the Plant and AgriBiosciences cluster, Dr. Tuohy’s
group collaborate with Dr. Z. Popper (on plant cell wall structure) and Dr. D. Stengel (algal
biopolymers and bioactives).
Dr Carroll’s group has an established history in research with Campylobacter and has established
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
links with Irish regulatory bodies and the Irish poultry Industry, while Dr. Tuohy’s group has
established links with national and international research groups investigating the structure,
function and biotechnology and long-standing collaboration with Irish SMEs involved in the
development of bioproducts from marine algae.
Dr. Carrolls group is one of the few Campylobacter research groups which is actively using
Chemostat technology to study Campylobacters physiology.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
B.Sc in Biological Science; B.Sc in Microbiology; B.Sc in Molecular Biology; B.Sc. in Chemical
biology; B.Sc. in Biochemistry; B.Sc. in Biotechnology
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
x
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
X
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
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): ____Y_
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Suitable for either/ Y