UK/EU PhD Studentship: In vitro models to study the effect of the microbiome on the gut brain axis @ University of Cambridge

We are currently recruiting an outstanding PhD candidate to be part of a team which will develop an in vitro platform to study the effect of the microbiome on the gut brain axis. This is a PhD studentship fully funded by a European Research Council grant to start in October 2017, and is open to eligible UK and EU applicants.

The human gut is host to over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. The development of in vitro models with microbiota has not yet been demonstrated even though the transformative role of the microbiota appears unquestionable. The current project will focus on using engineering and materials science approaches to develop complete (i.e. human and microbe) in vitro models to truly capture the human situation, benefitting from cutting edge organic electronic technology which will allow real-time monitoring thus enabling iterative improvements in the models employed. The result from this project will be a platform to study host-microbiome interactions and consequences for pathophysiology, in particular, of the GI tract and brain.

The ideal candidate will have a 1st or upper 2nd class degree or equivalent in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related scientific discipline, and experience in cross-disciplinary work. The candidate will have the responsibility to design, fabricate and iteratively optimise modules within the in vitro platform for hosting cells with integrated fluidics and sensors. Previous experience in microfabrication techniques, organic electronics, or microfluidics are welcome. This is a multidisciplinary project and the successful candidate will benefit from an extensive peer-group of researchers, as well as an important interaction between academia and industry.

Previous publications from the research group can be found at the following address: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kCDJLFYAAAAJ&hl=fr

For informal enquiries please contact recruitment@ceb.cam.ac.uk

To apply for this position, please send the following to recruitment@ceb.cam.ac.uk by 17:00 on Wednesday 7th June 2017:

1) Include the vacancy reference number, NQ12333, in the subject line of your email 2) A detailed curriculum vitae 3) Transcripts and/or degree certificates that include numerical details of grades obtained in relevant examinations/courses.

Please quote reference NQ12333 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

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