Détails de l'offre
- Type de poste: CDD
- Secteur : Public
- Localité : International
- Limite de candidature : 04/11/2021
- Profil de poste:
Recherche et innovation - Domaine(s) :
Microbiologie et Immunologie, Autre
Description
ORGANISATION/COMPANY: University College Cork
RESEARCH FIELD: Biological sciences
RESEARCHER PROFILE: First Stage Researcher (R1)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 04/11/2021 12:00 – Europe/London
LOCATION: Ireland › Cork
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Temporary
JOB STATUS: Full-time, 39 hours per week
Offer description
2 Year, Fixed-Term, Whole-time Post
Project background
Streptococcus suis is a pig pathobiont that is almost ubiquitously carried in the nasopharynx where infections lead to meningitis, polyarthritis, septicaemia, pneumonia and endocarditis. Consequently, S. suis infections are a significant international animal welfare and economic burden in the pig industry.
The first line of treatment is antibiotics; however, antibiotic resistance is a major global health issue and alternative strategies are lacking. Vaccination against S. suis has a poor success rate and an effective vaccine remains unlikely. Thus, improving animal health against S. suis is a key industrial target.
While phages, and phage-derived proteins, have been applied therapeutically in the past, technical limitations remain, including spontaneous host resistance and in vivo phage delivery. As part of this international project, the Research Assistant will support S. suis bacterial and bacteriophage isolation and analysis activities and use a rational design approach to generate combinations of these phages for in vitro testing.
The aim of this design approach is to ensure the combined phages to kill a wide range of infectious S. suis strains while circumventing bacterial-mediated phage resistance, a key roadblock to the use of phage therapy. The overall aim of the project is to develop innovative and effective phage therapy solutions to specifically target S. suis in pigs.
The researcher will have the opportunity to develop skills in a wide range of techniques including next generation sequencing and analysis, biochemical and biological assays, and bacterial and bacteriophage culturing and propagation. The successful candidate will also be involved in wider Teagasc and APC Microbiome Education and Public Engagement activities.
The role
We are seeking a motivated and skilled Research Assistant to support the research activities of this project. The candidate will work with the research teams of Dr John Kenny (Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork) and Prof Jennifer Mahony (UCC, College Road, Cork). The successful candidate will be principally located at Teagasc with potential training periods based at UCC.
Project Title: PhageSuas: Improved Pig Health through the Novel Application of SynBio in Phage Therapy
Post Duration: 2 years
Salary: €27,109 – €36,422 p.a. (IUA Salary Scale)
For an information package including further details of the post see https://ore.ucc.ie/. Job ID: 040541.
Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Jennifer Mahony, Tel: + 353 (0) 21 4902730; Email: j.mahony@ucc.ie.
Applications must be submitted online via the University College Cork vacancy portal (https://ore.ucc.ie/). Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to recruitment@ucc.ie, quoting the job-title and project name.
Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Thursday, 4 November 2021. No late applications will be accepted.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.
UCC is committed to creating and fully embracing an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated. As a University we strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our student population where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn from one another, share ideas, and work collaboratively.
UCC is committed to being an employer that recognises the value of diversity amongst its staff.
We encourage applicants to consult our policies at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/policies/ and initiatives at https://www.ucc.ie/en/edi/implementation/ and we welcome applications from everyone, including those who are underrepresented in the protected characteristics set out in our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Where to send your application
Contact information
ORGANISATION/COMPANY
University College Cork
DEPARTMENT: School of Microbiology and Teagasc
ORGANISATION TYPE: Higher Education Institute
http://www.ucc.ie/en/
COUNTRY: Ireland
CITY: Cork
STREET: Western Road