Project Reference: TRG27-VET-CC1

Project title: Engineering the next generation helminth-inspired antimicrobials 

Project outline

Parasitic nematodes (PNs) and microbial pathogens undermine human health and are similarly challenged by escalating anthelmintic and antimicrobial resistance, respectively, highlighting an urgent need for novel therapeutics grounded in improved understanding of fundamental pathogen biology. Despite their diversity, PNs and bacteria co-exist within the host environment engaging in complex interactions. Understanding how PNs persist in this environment is a significant knowledge-gap which may reveal critical survival strategies that can be exploited for PN or microbial pathogen control. This PhD project will explore PN innate immunity, focussing on PN antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), in host–PN-microbe interactions. Supported by a multidisciplinary team collaboration between the Cantacessi and Bakshi laboratories, the student will integrate cutting-edge expertise in advanced PN functional genomics, machine learning, bioengineering and microfluidics-based microbiology to define AMP interactomics in PN of substantial socio-economic importance to the UK and global livestock industry, and lay the groundwork to advance the transformative discovery of novel therapeutics to address food secutirity and global human and animal health priorities. Specifically, This project aims to undertake integrated qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess the impact of worm-derived AMPs on complex populations of bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of production animals. To achieve this aim, the student will (i) characterise the full spectrum of AMPs in worm secretions, using proteomics and peptidomics approaches coupled with predictive algorithms for the identification of peptides with putative antimicrobial function(s); (ii) synthesise/express AMPs for subsequent testing using a time-lapse microfluidics platform; (iii) develop population dynamic models to quantify the effects that such AMPs, alone and in combination, exert of overall populations of gut bacteria.

Principal Supervisor

Professor Cinzia Cantacessi

Email address: cc779@cam.ac.uk

Department / Partner Institute: Veterinary Medicine

Website: https://www.vet.cam.ac.uk/directory/cc779

BBSRC strategic theme

Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food