PhD Study Opportunity Belfast UK 2008

Evaluation of novel compounds with potential inhibitory action against Mycobacterium spp. of human and animal health significance

Project title:
Evaluation of novel compounds with potential inhibitory action against Mycobacterium spp. of human and animal health significance

Supervisors:
Dr Irene Grant and Professor Chris Elliott (IAFLU) and Dr Marie Migaud (Department of Chemistry).

Background:
Mycobacteria are a major cause of human and animal disease worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis are the cause of tuberculosis in humans and cattle, respectively. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes Johne’s disease in cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants and may also have some association with Crohn’s disease in humans. Mycobacterium avium causes disease in pigs and is a significant cause of mycobacterial infections in immunocompromised individuals. Mycobacterial resistance to the antibiotics currently used to treat some of these conditions is increasing and so an urgent search is on to discover novel compounds with anti-mycobacterial action. Researchers within the Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University have produced a range of phosphorylated carbohydrate and nucleoside mimic compounds that may have potential inhibitory action against the above mycobacterial species.

Project aim:
To screen a range of candidate molecules in order to identify novel anti-mycobacterial compounds.

Project plan:

To compare several screening methods for determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of compounds against Mycobacterium spp., e.g. Microplate Alamar Blue Method (MABA), Resazurin reduction method and Broth dilution method.
To screen a large number of novel carbohydrate and nucleoside compounds for antimycobacterial activity against M. bovis BCG, MAP and M. avium.
To further investigate the MIC of promising antimycobacterial compounds when used alone and in combination with other novel compounds and traditional antibiotics.

References:

Pauli, G.F., Case, R.J., Inui, T., Wang, Y., Cho, S., Fischer, N.H. and Franzblau, S.G. (2005) New perspectives on natural products in TB drug research. Life Sciences 78: 485-494.
Johar, M., Manning, T., Tse, C. Desroches, N., Agrawal, B., Kunimoto, D.Y. and Kumar, R. (2007) Growth inhibition of Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium in vitro: effect of 1-ß-D-2’-arabinofuranosyl and 1-(2’-Deoxy-2’-fluoro-ß-D-2’-ribofuranosyl) pyrimidine nucleoside analogs. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 50:3696-3705.

Further information:
Candidates for this position should possess at least a 2(i) degree in Microbiology or a closely related subject, and have recent experience of working in a microbiology laboratory. Applicants should complete the online application form available at: http://pg.apply.qub.ac.uk/home/

Closing date:
Friday 29 February 2008

This PhD studentship is available immediately for a period of 3 years. The successful applicant will receive a studentship of £12,600 (to cover maintenance expenses) and approved tuition fees. To be eligible for this studentship, a candidate must have been ordinarily resident in the UK or elsewhere in the European Union throughout the period of 3 years immediately preceding the start of the studentship (or would have been so resident had the candidate, the spouse or either parent not been employed temporarily outside the UK or the EU). Anyone who does not meet this eligibility criterion need not apply, as their application will not be considered.

For informal discussions please contact Dr Irene Grant (+44 (0)28 9097 2109; i.grant@qub.ac.uk).

Full Details Here

Scholarship Tags: Belfast, Opportunity, PhD, Study, UK