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Marie Skłodowska-Curie ESR Fellowship
Creating safe strains of Clostridium botulinum for the Food Industry
Background
The bacterial endospore is one of the most highly resistant life-forms on earth and allows
the bacterium to survive exposure to extremes of temperature, desiccation, radiation,
disinfectants and, in the case of Clostridium, oxygen. The longevity of survival is
astounding and can be measured not in tens or hundreds of years but, in millions. These
remarkable structures are the most important single feature of the genus Clostridium.
This is because spores play the pivotal role in the spread of infection (eg, C. difficile) and
in foodstuff contamination and food poisoning (eg, C. botulinum and C. perfringens). The
processes of spore formation (sporulation) and germination (return of the dormant spore
to toxin-producing, vegetative cells), therefore, represent key intervention points. On
the other hand, the majority of clostridia are entirely benign and can sustainably produce
all manner of useful chemicals and fuels. Crucially, the regulation of chemical production
is intimately linked to that of sporulation. Spores of benign species may also be used as
a delivery system for treating cancer. This is because intravenously injected spores
localise to and selectively germinate in the hypoxic centres of solid tumours, a property
that can be used to deliver anti-tumour agents. Moreover, the phage-mediated delivery
of small, acid-soluble protein (SASP) derived from spores are the basis of an innovative
approach to the killing of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Yet, despite the tremendous
importance of the spore, little is known of the developmental processes of clostridial
sporulation and germination. Deriving this knowledge, and thence exploiting it, is the
objective of the Marie Curie ITN CLOSPORE.
The Project
The neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the most toxic substance known to
man and is the causal agent of food-borne botulism. The contamination of food products
with C. botulinum has been the principle target of the food industry for over a century.
To prevent food-borne botulism, it is imperative to understand those factors that affect
the ability of the organism to grow and/or produce toxin when present in food. The
requisite studies are impeded by the highly toxic nature of the organism. In this project
you will use advanced molecular biology tools and Synthetic Biology approaches to
generate ‘safe’ strains of C. botulinum and to develop real-time assays for clostridial
growth, toxin production and spore formation/germination.
The project is with the Clostridia Research Group (CRG) of the BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic
Biology Research Centre (SBRC) located at the University of Nottingham
(http://www.sbrc-nottingham.ac.uk/). The CRG (60+ researchers) are one of the largest
research groups in the world focused on the genus Clostridium and occupy ‘state-of-theart’ facilities within the SBRC.
The Network
CLOSPORE is a new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions ITN, based at centres of excellence
in Lisbon, Helsinki, Paris, Wageningen, Abingdon and Nottingham. There are eight
participating organisations involved, composed of four academic institutions and four
companies. Across the network a total of 15 early stage researchers will have the
opportunity to study for three years towards a PhD in microbiology. Participants will be
generously paid with all the benefits of an employee, and will have the opportunity to
join network-wide training events, collaborations and conferences.
Eligibility and How to Apply
As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, this position has eligibility requirements. Please
make sure you understand these before applying:
1. Applicants must be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research
careers and not yet have been awarded a doctorate. This 4 year period is measured
from the date of obtaining the degree which would formally entitle to embark on a
doctorate.
2. Applicants must be eligible to enrol for a PhD in their chosen host country (for most
of Europe this means they must have a Masters, but it varies from country to
country)
3. At the time of recruitment applicants must not have lived or worked in their chosen
host country for more than 12 months in the previous 3 years.
Further details, including how to apply, are available at www.clostridia.net/clospore