About the Project
Overview
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition affecting 1 in 2500 babies in the UK. Disruption in chloride secretion results in build-up of thick mucus in the lungs, trapping bacteria and promoting their growth. Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) is one of the earliest infections in the lungs of children with CF. Sa persists for many years in the CF lung environment.
Sa uses the type VII secretion system (T7SS) to secrete antibacterial toxins that target competitor bacteria. The T7SS and its toxins are strongly linked with colonisation. We hypothesise that the CF lung environment, and co-infecting bacteria, modulate activity of the Sa T7SS.
You will engineer GFP promoter fusions to assess T7SS ‘switching on’ in response to the CF environment, clinically relevant antibiotics and presence of other bacteria. You will assess ability of Sa wild type, T7SS mutants and secreted toxin mutants to form biofilms with other CF pathogens, in particular Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), looking at spatial localisation and survival in the biofilm. You will determine how Sa interacts with airway commensals and whether/how they modulate Sa/Pa interactions.
Number of awards
1
Start date
15th September 2025
Award duration
The funding covers a three-year PhD
Sponsor
LifeArc/CF Trust
Name of supervisor/s
Professor Tracy Palmer