11. Development of innovative tools for rapid phenotypic characterisation of intraspecific diversity of Listeria monocytogenes (Joint supervision PhD)
Host Organizations BioFilm Control (France) and GenXPRO (Germany)
Objectives
1. The ESR will develop an assay to test biofilm phenotype in a large array of food processing-related environmental conditions (salt, acides, disinfectants, preservatives) in BFC facilities. He will be in charge of the development and validation of an in silico virulence assay. This assay will target specific mRNAs in order to estimate the virulence potential of strains of L. monocytogenes. Transcript targets will be selected and tested by qPCR in GXP premises. In the process of validation, virulence results of several strains collected in a humanised mouse model will be compared with the in silico analysis. Once these innovative tools will be validated, intraspecific phenotypic diversity (biofilm and virulence) will be assessed on a collection of environmental and clinical isolates of L. monocytogenes. Genotypic diversity will be assessed under the supervision of GPX.
Expected Results : Adaptation of the BioFilm Ring test R to test food processing environmental conditions. Development of an innovative in silico virulence assay surrogate to animal models. Diversity results will inform stakeholders on the level of health hazard according to the strain. This in turn will help secure food safety all along the shelf life of foodstuff.
Duration (months) 36
Contact : Dr. Thierry BERNARDI: thbe@biofilmcontrol.com
Dr. Bjorn ROTTER: rotter@genxpro.de
ELIGIBLE CRITERIA of Marie Sklokowska Curie actions:
Researchers may be of any nationality
Candidates shall at the time of recruitment by the host organization, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers. Full-time equivalent research experience is measured from the date when a researcher obtained the degree which would formally entitle him or her to embark on a doctorate, either in the co

Novel diagnostic platform for detection of Osteoarthritis

I invite applications from highly motivated individuals to join my laboratory as a PhD student in Systems Biology at the University of Calgary McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. This project is aimed at characterizing the networks of physical (protein-protein) interactions underlying inflammatory processes in patients with Osteoarthritis and how this differs from patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and normal individuals. This work will eventually lead to the development of a novel diagnostic platform for the non-invasive and accurate detection of early Osteoarthritis. The selected candidate will use state-of-the-art computational methodologies to systematically analyze proteomic data, and develop /implement new algorithms to identify protein and functional interaction networks from high throughput experimental data. The individual will also benefit by working closely with experts at the UofC and UofA through an AIHS Alberta Osteoarthritis Team Grant which includes experts from all pillars of health research. The candidate will also be supported to attend bioinformatics workshops and conferences to advance and disseminate their research.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or equivalent with strong background knowledge of the Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. The individual should additionally have experience in handling high-throughput data sets as well as programming skills. The candidate will be registered as a PhD student in Dr. Krawetz’s laboratory, located in the new state-of-the-art Health Research Innovation Centre at the UofC. The individual will have strong verbal and written skills and the ability to work efficiently in a team environment.

In addition to the outstanding research opportunities available in this setting, students also enjoy the many cultural and sporting amenities provided in the city of Calgary, and can take advantage of the unparalleled skiing and hiking in the Rocky Mountains that are less than an hour away.

Candidates must be academically competitive and will be expected to apply for external funding. The stipend is $25,000/yr. For outstanding PhD students, internal top-up award opportunities are available on a competitive basis. If interested in joining the lab, please contact Dr. Krawetz directly at rkrawetz@ucalgary.ca and provide the following information:

- Short cover letter explaining your interest in the lab
- Resume
- Scanned copy of transcript or listing of course grades
- Names and contact information for two individuals who will be willing to provide letters of reference

If you are looking for a new opportunity and have skills within any sector of Bioinformatics with an IT skill then I would love to hear from you. I have various exciting opportunities from programmers to researchers to scientists.

Call me now on 01772 278050 or email me your cv and requirements and I will call you back dareen.evans@itworkshealth.co.uk