Expires on: 01/09/2024
Description
Schistosomiasis is a major water-borne disease that severely impacts human health, infecting 200 million people, leading to 200,000 deaths/year. This devastating parasitic disease is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is transmitted to humans through cercariae larvae in infected lakes/rivers. The parasite is a flatworm with an unusual life cycle. Once ejected from faeces (of infected mammals), schistosome eggs hatch to produce many motile larvae called miracidia which first infects an intermediate host – freshwater snails. This is a short-lived stage in which the larvae swims using a dense covering of cilia to locate the snail host (Fig.1), with naïve snails being preferred. After some time, the next stage – cercariae leave infected snails, and then proceed to infect various mammals (Fig.2). The entire cycle then begins anew.
This highly interdisciplinary project will measure, quantify and model the infection process. We will focus on miracidia (which only infects snails), since effective control over the dispersal of snail chemostimulants and infection of the intermediate host will in turn reduce human infections.
Fields
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Science
Requirements
Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Master’s degree. Applicants with a minimum of Upper Second Class degree and significant relevant non-academic experience are encouraged to apply.