The Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre PhD Position Department ofBacteriology and Immunology
*Science at the service of safe food production and animal health
*The Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (VAR) is a Federal PublicScientific Institution located on two campuses at Uccle and Tervuren, nearBrussels. In the framework of sustainable and socially acceptableagriculture, the VAR, through scientific research, expert advice, and theprovision of services, contributes to a pro-active policy as regards safefood production, animal health, and public health on the federal andinternational levels.
To fulfill this task, 60 scientific and 150 technical staff are active inapplied research in the fields of transmissible animal diseases, and ofsafety of animal and crop products. To support its growth and researchactivities carried out at the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, VARis currently seeking candidates for a PhD position.
*Framework and tasks
*Paratuberculosis or Johne's disease is an enzootic bacterial disease inruminants, due to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map),characterised by a chronic and fatal diahrrea. Its prevalence has reachedendemicity in European dairy herds and in the sheep, goat and deer farmingsectors, with 70-80% herd prevalence in some regions. Paratuberculosis isalso responsible for persistant environmental contamination of pastures andwater catchment areas. Current diagnostic methods lack sensitivity, andcurrent vaccines have little impact on the prevalence of infection;therefore both require improvement for disease control.
The aim of this research is to explore and optimise the diagnostic andvaccine potential of recently identified Map antigens in cattle. For thispurpose diagnostic antigen candidates will be targeted to Antigen PresentingCell (APC) surface receptors in a recombinant fusion strategy to enhanceantigen in vitro uptake and presentation, and vaccine candidates will betargeted to cattle dendritic cell surface markers to enhance and modulateantigen presentation.
The research supports ongoing programs on M. bovis diagnosis and Map antigendiscovery at the Veterinary Agrochemical Research Centre, and should lead toa PhD at Université Libre de Bruxelles. It will be carried out in bothinstitutions under joint supervision of Dr M. Govaerts, VAR, and Prof dr M.Moser, ULB, in collaboration with external partners. The candidate will berecruited by VAR under a one-year, twice renewable research contract.
*Profile*
- Master in Life Sciences, Bio-Engineering, Veterinary Medicine or anotherrelevant field- Written/spoken fluency in either English or French.
- Successful candidates will have the ability to work in high autonomywithin a multilingual group.
*Contact details*
- Dr Marc Govaerts,
Dept. Bacteriology & Immunology, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA),
Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Uccle,
Belgium. Tel : +32-2-3790443;
Fax : +32-2-3790679;
email : magov@var.fgov.be;
- homepages: http://www.var.fgov.be/section_immunology_fr.php and http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/unites/ULB139.html
*Start date:*
01-Feb-2008, preferably 01-Jan-2008
*Application*
Please send your curriculum vitae, motivation, relevant researchexperience, study curriculum with rankings, English/French proficiency (forforeign students), pdf of diploma and transcripts (translation ifnecessary), and name/e-mail (coordinates) of 2 reference persons, tomagov@var.fgov.be
*Further Details*<http://www.jobs.ac.uk/jobs/AH256/PhD_Position/www.var.fgov.be/>