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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PI name & contact details:
Prof. Deniz Tasdemir, Established Professor of Marine Biodiscovery
School of Chemistry, NUI Galway
Phone: +353-(0)91-492450, Fax: +353-(0)91-495576
e-mail: deniz.tasdemir@nuigalway.ie
Co-PI name & contact
details:
Dr. Michael Carty, Senior Lecturer
Biochemistry, and Centre for Chromosome Biology
School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway
Tel: 353-(0)91-493695, Fax: 353-(0)91-495504
e-mail: michael.carty@nuigalway.ie
School of Chemistry
School:
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed
registration school?
Yes
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Research group / centre
website:
Marine Biodiscovery Research Group
http://www.nuigalway.ie/chemistry/level2/staff/DenizTasdemir/dt
grouppage.html
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/chemistry/level2/staff/DenizTasdemir/dtr
esearch.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
The main research focus is directed at marine bioprospecting, with the ultimate aim of discovering
new drugs/drug lead molecules from marine organisms. These compounds can be developed
pharmaceutically to prevent or treat human diseases, such as cancer. It is a highly multisdisciplinary
research, including natural product chemistry, cancer biology, biochemistry, clinical research.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Discovery of novel sunscreen natural products from marine organisms
Rising levels of harmful UV rays are reaching the earth’s surface due to the thinning of the ozone
layer worldwide. It is now widely accepted that continuous exposure to UV irradiation (both UV-A
and UV-B) leads to the skin cancer and other photo-aging complications. UV irradiation induces
oxidative stress responses via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that interact with
cellular biomolecules e.g. DNA, proteins and fatty acids causing oxidative damage. Hence
photoprotection, through topical use of sunscreen agents has become a primary preventive
measure. However this it may not be sufficient for some skin cancers, such as non-melanoma skin
cancers (NMSC), so additional approaches and strategies are needed.
Marine organisms, particularly those found in shallow waters are under continuous solar
irradiation. In order to minimize or counteract the photo-damage, they produce various classes of
photoprotective and UV-absorbing substances, some of which are under evaluation for their topical
sunscreen effects in humans. This project will try to discover and develop novel, safe, natural marine
molecules with broad-spectrum UV protective potential. It will involve testing of crude extracts
obtained from various seaweeds, as well as marine macro- and microorganisms. The extracts will be
tested against human cell lines, including primary human keratinocytes and melanocytes, and
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
established non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancer cell lines. The ability of extracts to protect
against UVB and UVA-induced cytotoxicity will be analysed using cell viability assays and clonogenic
survival assays. The induction of UV-induced DNA damage will be analysed by determining the effect
of the extracts on the induction of UV-induced photoproducts and oxidative lesions in genomic DNA,
using specific antibodies to detect lesions in cellular DNA. Effects of extracts of UV-induced DNA
damage signalling pathways will be determined using immunofluorescence and western blotting.
The ability of selected extracts to induce cytotoxicity in skin cancer cell lines will be analysed using
cell viability assays. The promising extracts with UV-protective activity will be purified by
chromatographic methods and tested in vitro for effects on cell viability and UV-damage induction
as guide. Chemical characterization of the active constituents of the extracts will be performed by
high resolution spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS, LC-MS). The mechanism of action of promising
photoprotective or chemotherapeutic compounds will be further investigated by analysis of changes
in genes and proteins involved in key cell signalling pathways. This project is expected to yield
marine natural products with strong cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical value. Such compounds may
have realistic potential to be developed commercially for topical and/or internal use for solar
protection, skin cancer chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic activities.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
This project is very multidisciplinary that will provide the student with a range of techniques at the
cutting edge of natural product chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology and cancer biology, and
prepare the student for a career in drug discovery, natural product and cancer research in an
academic or industrial setting. On the other hand, Chemistry PhD programme will provide the
student with a diverse range of additional subject-specific and non-specific didactic elements as part
of the structured PhD programme.
The student will have access to the following:

A state of the art infrastructure in natural products chemistry at the PI’s research group
(automated fractionation techniques, HPLC, UPLC-MS/MS) and in School of Chemistry (400,
500, 600 NMR with cryoprobe, LC-MS, X-ray crystallography)

A wide range of expertise/training including the areas of drug discovery, natural products
chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, cancer biology, translational research

Collaboration with Dr. Michael Carty (co-PI) in NUIG will provide access to core technical
facilities and techniques such as mammalian cell culture facilities, flow cytometry,
fluorescence microscopy, and systems for analysis of protein, DNA and gene expression
(western blotting, immunofluorescence, qPCR).

A wide network of collaborating researchers (academic and industrial) in Ireland and
worldwide
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Pharmacy, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Cell biology, Pharmacology
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
X
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
Suitable for either/Don’t know: _____