UK : PhD Research Studentship Microbial contamination of contact lenses and associated clinical factors

Glasgow Caledonian University - Departments of Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Vision Sciences

School of Life Sciences

Supervisors

Dr Sue Lang (Department of Biomedical Sciences, GCU)

Dr Sven Jonuscheit (Department of Vision Sciences, GCU)

The Studentship

The studentship is for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate plus an annual stipend of £14, 275 (please note that students from outside the EU are required to pay the difference between International and EU fees, currently this would amount to £6,100 per annum). Successful candidates are expected to undertake up to 6 hours of academic support activity per week.

The topic

"Microbial contamination of contact lenses and associated clinical factors"

Contact lens wear is a significant risk factor for the development of acute bacterial eye infections (microbial keratitis). The healthy non-lens wearing ocular surface is frequently exposed to potentially pathogenic microorganisms, yet infections rarely arise. The presence of a foreign object however, such as a contact lens, impairs host defence mechanisms allowing relatively small bacterial inocula to initiate infections. The contact lens surface allows the bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus to form a structure known as a biofilm (a population of bacteria cells within a secreted matrix called extracellular polymeric substance). It is recognised that a bacterial population replicating within a biofilm differs greatly from a free-floating counterpart. Bacteria within a biofilm are physiologically heterogeneous, gene expression and protein synthesis are altered, and the cells become increasingly refractory to antibiotic therapy. This study will investigate the association of contact lens wear and biofilm formation with S. aureus keratitis.

The successful applicant will be able to combine lab-based in vitro studies within a well-resourced and experienced research team engaged in the investigation of staphylococcal biofilms within the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with relevant clinical research involving in vivo assessments of contact lenses and the human cornea within the Eye Clinic at GCU.

For further details and informal enquiries please contact the supervisors or the postgraduate tutor:

Dr Lang, Lecturer in Microbiology (sue.lang@gcu.ac.uk, 0141 331 8092) or

Dr Jonuscheit, Lecturer in Vision Sciences (sven.jonuscheit@gcu.ac.uk, 0141 331 3059)

Prof Ann Graham, Postgraduate Research Tutor (ann.graham@gcu.ac.uk)

Requirements and further details

Applicants should normally hold a first or upper second class degree in an appropriate subject.

How to apply

An application form can be downloaded from the following web page:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/graduatecentre/downloads/standard_app_form.doc

All enquiries for further information about how to apply for the above PhD posts and completed applications should be directed to Diane Dickie, Caledonian Graduate Centre, D.Dickie@gcu.ac.uk or 0141 331 8096.

Further information about the School of Life Sciences at GCU is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/research/

Further information about the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/departments/deptofbiologicalbiomedicalsciences/

Further information about the Department of Vision Sciences is available here:

http://www.gcu.ac.uk/sls/departments/deptofvisionsciences/

Closing date for the applications is Friday 16^th July 2010