PhD studentship: Development of a human 3D co-culture model of the airway blood barrier to investigate cell:cell cross talk (889317FC)

Lead Institute / Faculty: University of Southampton / Medicine

Main Supervisor:  Dr Emily Swindle

Other members of the supervisory team:  Dr Cornelia Blume, Dr Tim Millar, Prof Donna Davies (Medicine) Wendy Rowan and Theresa Pell (GSK)

Duration of the award: Four years Full time

Project description
We are looking for a candidate to take up a four year interdisciplinary PhD studentship on ‘Development of a human 3D co-culture model of the airway blood barrier to investigate cell:cell cross talk’ at the Faculty of Medicine at University of Southampton in collaboration with our industrial partner GlaxoSmithKline.

For the human body it is essential to have a protective barrier (called the epithelial barrier) that prevents entry of foreign substances from the external environment into the body. A functional epithelial barrier is especially important in the lung, where we are exposed to potential harmful substances that we inhale every time we breathe. Internally, endothelial cells form a barrier between the tissue and the circulation that regulates immune cell infiltration. In order to maintain barrier integrity and function of the lung tissue cellular cross-talk between these different cell types is very important. Following inhalation of environmental agents (e.g. particulates and pathogens) the airway epithelium mounts an inflammatory response and cellular cross-talk with endothelial cells co-ordinates signals which result in immune cell infiltration into the tissue. A tight regulation of inflammation is essential in order to prevent chronic inflammation and fibrosis that can affect lung function and respiratory health. So far, there is little knowledge about the mechanisms of cellular crosstalk to maintain barrier homeostasis in the human airway. This gap in knowledge is mainly due to a lack of suitable human in vitro models of the airway which recapitulate the complexin vivo situation accurately. As a result there is an unmet need for in vitro 3-D tissue co-culture models of the human airway in order to understand the mechanisms of cellular crosstalk in detail.To address this, an interdisciplinary research activity at the University of Southampton has developed a microfluidic platform that monitors epithelial-endothelial cellular cross-talk (Blume et al 2017. Immun. Inflamm. Dis. 5(1): 45-56).

This studentship will focus on further developing this 3D in vitro model of the airway-blood barrier by (1) developing and integrating a biocompatible scaffold that delivers a more physiologically relevant airway barrier which allows closer cell-cell communication; and (2)incorporating additional cell types into the 3D co-culture model using microfluidics to investigate cellular cross talk that regulates lung function. The project will allow us to further our understanding about the regulation of barrier integrity and inflammation in the lung which is important in the health and well being of the tissue and may lead to new applications in drug discovery for epithelial barrier dysfunction.

The University of Southampton is one of the top 20 research-led universities in the UK. The Faculty of Medicine (FoM) is a world leader in respiratory research with over 75% of research classed as internationally recognized/world class in the latest UK Research Excellence Framework (2014). We have a strong interdisciplinary life science focus through the Institute for Life Sciences hub (http://www.southampton.ac.uk/ifls/index.page) and Electronic and Computer Sciences where over 95% of research is classed as internationally excellent/world leading quality.

Please contact: 

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Emily Swindle (e.j.swindle@soton.ac.uk). Applications with a letter explaining why you are interested in this project, detailed CV and the names and addresses of three referees, should also be emailed to Dr Emily Swindle.

Person Specification: See below

The successful candidate must hold or anticipate receiving the following qualifications:

Funding information:
This is a fully funded BBSRC iCASE studentship available from 1 October 2017 for a period of four years and the student will be expected to spend extended periods of time working at GSK. Eligible students* will receive a minimum stipend of £17,553 pa and university registration/tuition fees will be paid. Applicants must hold, or anticipate receiving, a 1st or upper 2nd class degree, or a merit or distinction at MSc, in a subject within the life sciences. This studentship is open to UK students and eligible EU students who qualify for home-rated fees in line with BBSRC criteria (http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/documents/studentship-eligibility-pdf/).

Administrative contact and how to apply
Please complete the University's online application form, which you can find at

https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Login?pos=4355&majr=4355&term=201718

You should enter Dr Emily Swindle as your proposed supervisor. To support your application provide an academic CV (including contact details of two referees), official academic transcripts and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date).

Informal enquiries relating to the project or candidate suitability should be directed to Dr Emily Swindle (e.j.swindle@soton.ac.uk).

Closing date: 9th July

Interview date:  13th – 20th July

Closing Date: 09 Jul 2017
Post Type: PhD Studentship (Funded)