Background

The complex microbial community (microbiota) inhabiting the large intestine has a profound effect on health and physiology. One major factor shaping the gut microbiota is the availability of dietary and host glycans. Some gut bacteria can utilise host glycans such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) or host O-glycans present on mucins as nutrients.

Project Description

The overall aim is to gain mechanistic insights into the receptors involved in the interaction between bacteria/probiotics and host glycans. Specific objectives include characterising the kinetics of interaction between host O-glycan structures and gut bacterial cell surface proteins, and unravelling the metabolic pathways involved in mucin/HMO glycan degradation/utilisation by major gut symbionts. Training will include molecular microbiology, anaerobic growth cultures, cloning, heterologous expression, mutagenesis, recombinant protein purification, in vitro binding assays (SPR, ITC), activity assays, and carbohydrate analysis (NMR, HPAEC, metabolomics).

Requirements

In accordance with the Marie Curie Sweet Crosstalk ITN rules, candidates must meet two eligibility criteria:

• Not have resided or carried out main activity in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to application deadline.
• Be in the first four years of their research career and not have been awarded a PhD.

How to Apply

Apply at https://sweetcrosstalk.eu/recruitment/. For more information, contact [contact hidden].

This is one of 15 Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher (PhD) positions within the Sweet Crosstalk Network.