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Postgraduate studentships

The Pirbright Institute has formed partnerships with a number of different universities and companies in the UK to offer a selection of exciting studentships studying viral infections of animals.

These partnerships offer students an exceptional opportunity to obtain a broad view of infectious disease research in a rich, stimulating and unique research environment. Students will have the opportunity to work with the different partners involved in their project, thereby giving them access to novel ways of tackling the problems of livestock diseases through interdisciplinary, cross-institutional approaches. This will be coupled to core skills training at the student’s host institutions, providing flexible training options and experiences that will support a wide range of career choices.

Watch this short film to find out more about PhD studentships at The Pirbright Institute:

Visit the Postgraduate Benefits page to watch our Student Spotlight interviews in full and gain insight from current PhD students.

Studentship Funding Eligibility:

For further information on funding eligibility please refer to:  https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/UKRI-16112023-UKRI_Training-Grant-Terms-And-Conditions-Guidance-November-2023.pdf - Annex B.

Applications:

For information on how to apply please visit:  https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/education-programme/how-apply

Current opportunities

 

Ref Number Closing Date PhD Studentship Supervisors Project Details
2024/06 18.03.24 Comparative analysis of the B cell and antibody response to bluetongue virus in cattle and sheep. Marie Di Placido, (The Pirbright Institute) Professor Christine Rollier (University of Surrey)
John Hammond & Kerry Newbrook (The Pirbright Institute) 

Bluetongue is a haemorrhagic disease affecting ruminants, caused by the Orbivirus, bluetongue virus (BTV), and transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. BTV typically causes severe clinical disease in sheep, yet is mild/asymptomatic in cattle, the main reservoir. BTV has a huge economic impact worldwide and remains a significant threat to the UK with continued outbreaks across Europe.
While inactivated vaccines have controlled past BTV outbreaks, vaccination only confers protection against the homologous BTV serotype, with 29 serotypes currently existing. Neutralising antibodies against BTV outer coat proteins, VP2 and VP5 (serotype determinants), are the only known correlate of protective immunity. The role of antibodies against immunodominant BTV structural protein, VP7, is unclear. This project will build on pre-existing data from the last 4 years investigating antibody responses to BTV infection/vaccination in cattle and sheep.

The student will be based primarily at The Pirbright Institute and registered with the University of Surrey. The student will visit the university to meet with their supervisors and undertake training or complete specific project tasks as required. Full details and how to apply

N/A - Apply via the University of Bristol 22.03.24

Understanding mechanisms involved in immunosuppression induced by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses

Rory Fortes De Brito (The Pirbright Institute), Prof Shahriar Behboudi (University of Bristol), Prof Simon Graham (The Pirbright Institute), Dr Benedetta Amato (University of Bristol), Prof Mick Bailey (University of Bristol)

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses a significant threat to the global pig industry, causing reproductive failure, respiratory issues, and immunosuppression. Research suggests that the PRRSV NSP2 protein activates the COX2/PGE2 pathway and is linked to regulatory T (Treg) cell responses, contributing to immunosuppression. In our prior work, we found that the COX2/PGE2 pathway, activated by NSP2, upregulates Treg expansion in a TGF-β dependent manner. This project aims to investigate the role of the COX2/PGE2 pathway in modulating immune responses in pigs following viral infections. The hypothesis is that PRRSV NSP2 activates the pathway in infected macrophages, leading to TGF-β maturation and Treg cell activation, negatively regulating the immune response. Using RT-qPCR, western blot, ELISA, flow cytometry, and a luciferase-based bioassay, the project seeks to assess pathway activation, explore TGF-β-induced Treg cell responses in vitro, and determine the impact of PRRSV mutations on immune responses in vivo. The student will gain experiences working across three laboratories (Pirbright, Bristol and BIOTEC (Thailand); and will learn and apply a range of state-of-the-art immunological and molecular virology techniques. 

For full details and how to apply please visit: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/understanding-mechanisms-involved-in-immunosuppression-induced-by-porcine-reproductive-and-respiratory-syndrome-viruses/?p169493

N/A - Apply via OneZoo 25.03.24 Thermal biology of midges as vectors of leishmaniasis Dr Matthew Rogers (LSHTM), Dr Laith Yakob (LSHTM), Dr Tom Bishop (Cardiff University), Dr Marion England (The Pirbright Institute)   

Mundinia leishmaniasis is an emerging human and animal pathogen vectored by day-biting midges. We will explore the ability of these important vectors to respond to varying temperatures and assess their interaction with Leishmania (Mundinia) species. Leishmania are parasitic protozoa responsible for a spectrum of zoonotic diseases ranging from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to the life-threatening organ failure of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). We propose to use a multidisciplinary approach to model, test and predict Europe and UK risk based on climate variables identified to be favourable for transmission and land use changes that could influence vector distribution and vector-host contact. 

For full details and to apply please visit: https://onezoo.uk/projects/2024-projects/

2024/07 02.04.24 Using machine learning to identify the molecular determinants of vector-borne transmission in viruses Dr Kevin Maringer (The Pirbright Institute), Dr Joe Grove (MRC-University of Glasgow), Dr Trevor Sweeney (The Pirbright Institute)

One third of all emerging infectious diseases are vector-borne. Arthropod vectors facilitate virus host-switching and emergence by bridging vertebrate hosts that might otherwise not come in contact, and because they allow viruses to bypass host barriers to infection by injecting virus directly into the bloodstream. Many genetically diverse groups of viruses have independently adopted vector-borne transmission, and they are collectively known as the arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses). The molecular factors required for facilitating a vector-borne dual-host lifecycle in evolutionarily divergent host species (vertebrate and invertebrate) evolved independently multiple times, sometimes within the same taxonomic group. The molecular adaptations that facilitate vector-borne transmission are almost completely uncharacterised, except for a few limited viral species-specific examples. Understanding how viruses evolve a dual-host vector-borne lifestyle is key to understanding arboviral transmission and emergence, and may allow us to develop transgenic vectors incapable of transmitting livestock and zoonotic diseases.

We are in a new era of machine-learning-enabled molecular virology. Using these methods, we can interrogate viral protein structure space in a very wide evolutionary context to identify overarching patterns of evolution - beyond the capabilities of traditional sequence comparisons that are more limited by evolutionary divergence. By combining machine learning with molecular virology, this project will characterise protein structures associated with vector-borne transmission in arboviruses. Depending on progress there may be opportunities to work in the Pirbright Institute’s insectaries to verify findings in vivo in mosquitoes.  Full details and how to apply

2024/04 15.04.24

Characterising coronavirus replication organelle dynamics and maturation

Dr Helena Maier (The Pirbright Institute), Dr Nicole Robb (University of Warwick), Dr Trevor SweeneyDr Sarah Keep (The Pirbright Institute)

Coronaviruses (CoV) are an important family of positive strand RNA viruses causing significant impacts on human and animal health and impacting food security. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a highly economically significant Gammacoronavirus that infects chickens causing respiratory disease and reductions in poultry production. In addition, IBV is an ideal model CoV to decipher aspects of virus replication and virus-host interactions. A critical stage of the CoV lifecycle is the rearrangement of host cell membranes to form replication organelles (RO), the site of viral RNA synthesis. The appearance of ROs has been well documented by us and others, demonstrating that ROs are highly conserved across the CoV family. However, many questions remain including the location of very early RO formation and RO dynamics and maturation over time. It is not understood whether there is organisation of viral genomic and sub-genomic RNAs or positive and negative sense RNAs within the RO. Furthermore, although CoVs are known to use genomic recombination to facilitate evolution, the processes involved in allowing the genomes of coinfecting viruses to come together for recombination are not understood. Full details and how to apply

 

How to apply for a postgraduate studentship:

See 'how to apply' page for details.

General enquiries can be emailed to studentship@pirbright.ac.uk

Studentships provide for tuition fees and stipend depending on eligibility (see project advert for details).

 

UK Posgraduate Doctoral Loans:

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan (of up to £28,673) can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.  Students in receipt of Research Council funding are not eligible.  Details can be found here.

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