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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
PI name & contact details:
School:
Dr Gerard Wall
Microbiology, NUI Galway
E: gerard.wall@nuigalway.ie
School of Natural Sciences
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Research group / centre website:
PI website / link to CV:
Microbiology & Network of Excellence for Functional
Biomaterials
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/
www.nfb.ie/
www.nuigalway.ie/microbiology/dr_gerard_wall.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
Dr Gerard Wall’s extensive research expertise lies in the production of recombinant proteins and
their applications in biomedicine, such as in drug delivery and targeted therapies, and in
biotechnology fields including immunosensors and biopharmaceuticals production. His lab is fully
equipped to carry out DNA cloning and analysis, and protein expression and engineering (E. coli,
yeast and cell-free), purification (ÅKTAexpress – IMAC, GF, IEC) and analysis (immunoblotting, EIA).
As a member of both Microbiology and the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB)
at NUI Galway, he also has access to an extensive base of expertise and equipment for biological and
physical analysis of materials, including microscopy (SEM, TEM, confocal), imaging, flow cytometry,
realtime PCR, etc.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Delivery of superoxide dismutase to the lung for therapy
Superoxide dismutase is an important enzyme in protecting against lung disease, including asthma
and malignancies. Its protective role against cigarette smoke, ozone, and free radical-generating
environmental carcinogens has been established in numerous transgenic animal studies. This
project to deliver the sod1 gene to the lungs forms part of a work programme which is being carried
out as part of the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway. The SOD1
enzyme will be targeted to the lung in the form of a recombinant fusion protein and will be released
in vivo through cleavage of the fusion protein at an engineered protease site. The project will
involve recombinant expression of the fusion protein in E. coli, purification and evaluation of its
properties in vitro (binding, enzyme activity, protease cleavage, followed by cell assays and preclinical trials. The aim of the work is to develop a novel therapeutic for treatment of lung disease.
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
The project forms part of a well established, multi-disciplinary work programme to develop novel,
non-viral delivery approaches for therapeutic molecules. The PhD candidate will work in
Microbiology (protein engineering), the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (materials
characterisation and delivery expertise) and Physiology (well developed pre-clinical models for
evaluation) – all at NUI Galway – to gain experience in a broad spectrum of molecular and cellular
techniques. The host research groups have a broad network of international collaborators and a
strong track record in fundamental and clinical research, and in the translation of biomaterialsbased concepts into novel therapeutics.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Biosciences: biology, microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry
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): N