PhD: Development of a Wild Immunology Toolbox
Degree type: PhD
Campus: Hobart, University of Tasmania
Supervisor: Dr Andy Files
About the research project
Disease is increasingly a driver of wildlife population declines in Australia. However, basic immunology tools for >99% of vertebrate species are scarce, limiting our ability to prevent and respond to emerging and endemic diseases, such as devil facial tumour disease and wobbly possum disease. The overarching goal of this project is to improve wildlife health and fill the marsupial immunology gap by developing a long-overdue multispecies marsupial immunology toolbox. The toolbox is needed to accelerate devil facial tumour disease vaccine progress and conservation immunology research. It will expand our knowledge of the vertebrate immune system, with a focus on B cells and antibodies.
The student will use a well-established nanobody library to develop nanobodies that will be used to immune-profile serum from healthy, diseased, recovered, and vaccinated marsupials to understand how protective and non-protective responses develop. The nanobodies that bind to B cells and plasma cells will be used for immunophenotyping blood and other tissues. Importantly, the immunophenotyping nanobody panel can also be used to sort individual antibody secreting cells and sequence the antibody coding region to accelerate development of a devil facial tumour disease vaccine.
The project will generate highly-skilled students and researchers that are competitive in the international biotech sector. This project will move the whole field of animal immunology forward by making high-quality, low-cost immunology tools available to Australian researchers.
Funding
Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:
- a living allowance stipend of $32,192 per annum (2024 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Other funding opportunities and fees
For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applications are open to Domestic/International/Onshore applicants
- English language score must be above minimum entry requirements for this project
- Applicants will be required to provide evidence of writing without assistance from artificial intelligence
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:
- Experience with cell culture, molecular biology, and/or immunological assays
- Demonstrated ability to write reports, thesis, and/or academic papers
- Ability to work with a diverse academic and industry team
- A strong commitment to animal welfare and wildlife conservation
- Independently motivated and able to troubleshoot problems
Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:
- Assembly of plasmid DNA vectors
- Production and purification of recombinant proteins
- Basic computer programming skills (R, Python)
- Driving license to pick up wildlife tissue samples
- Immunohistochemistry
- Basic statistics