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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:
School:
Dr Cyril Carroll
Enteric Pathogen Research Laboratory
Email: cyril.carroll@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353 91 492277
Dr Aoife Boyd
Pathogenic Mechanisms group
Aoife.Boyd@nuigalway.ie
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.
http://ncbes.eurhost.net/infectious-disease.aspx
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology
Research group / centre website:
PI website / link to CV:
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/dr__cyril_v__carroll.html
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/eprllab.html
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/ab.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
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.
Dr Boyd leads the Pathogenic Mechanisms group which characterises the molecular mechanisms
deployed by bacteria in order to colonise, survive and multiply during infection.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Title: Host-pathogen interactions of Campylobacter jejuni
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Description: Campylobacter jejuni infections are now the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis
in the world. Campylobacterosis occurs as a result of eating contaminated poultry and the
symptoms range from mild diarrhoea to cramps, fever and severe intestinal inflammation. The
bacteria adhere and invade into cells of the human intestine and the degree of adherence is relative
to the severity of disease. Contact-Dependent virulence mechanisms have recently been described
for C. jejuni. These systems require direct contact between the bacterium and the host cell to be
effective. This project will investigate the relationship between bacterial adherence, the function of
the Contact-Dependent virulence mechanisms and C. jejuni pathogenesis. Moreover, the presence
and function of the Contact-Dependent virulence mechanisms in a collection of poultry and clinical
isolates of Campylobacter will be determined. This research will ultimately determine the virulence
variation of C. jejuni isolates and advance knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the
host-pathogen interactions of this bacterium.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
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 which
facilitates cross fertilisation of techniques and offers a forum for discussuon both within
Microbiology and across other disciplines.
Dr. Carrolls group is nationally persieved as a leader in Campylobacter research as reinforced by the
PI involvent as WHO advisor on the incidence on Campylobacteriosis his has established links with
Irish regulatory bodies and the Irish poultry Industry.
This project offers the opportunity for the student to undertake a project combining the
Campylobacter expertise of Dr Carroll with the host-pathogen expertise of Dr Boyd.
Researchers at NUI, Galway have a collection of poultry and clinical isolates of Campylobacter which
comprises isolates associated with campylobacteriosis, as well as isolates found only associated with
food.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Biological Science; Microbiology; Molecular Biology; Biochemistry,
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
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
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
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_
Suitable for either/ Y