Decoding Campylobacter pathogenesis in chickens: From colonisation to contamination (SCHULLER_U26DTP)

Campylobacter jejuni is the major cause of food poisoning in the UK and associated with >500,000 infections annually. Undercooked poultry represents the main infection source as C. jejuni colonisation of the chicken gut is common. Although chickens rarely develop diarrhoea, Campylobacter carriage results in impaired growth and motility. While human pathogenesis is well explored, it remains largely unknown how C. jejuni persists in the chicken gut and spreads to edible tissues. This is partially due to a lack of avian in vitro model systems which enable the study of Campylobacter interactions with the intestinal epithelium under physiological hypoxia.

In this project, the PhD student will develop a microaerobic chicken intestinal organoid model to elucidate Campylobacter colonisation and translocation across the gut epithelium. By exploring host cell interactions of C. jejuni isolates with high and low transmission risk at a cellular and molecular level, the student will determine virulence traits contributing to intestinal persistence and systemic spread. Subsequent genomic and transcriptomic analyses will identify underlying bacterial virulence factors which will contribute to the development of efficient eradication strategies and identification of Campylobacter strains with high transmission risk into the food chain.

This project will be suited for a motivated student with a background in microbiology and cell biology and relevant research experience. You will join an interdisciplinary and supportive research environment at the UEA Medical School and closely collaborate with Prof Alison Mather’s group at the Quadram Institute. Expert training in anaerobic bacterial culture, establishment and functional analysis of intestinal cells and organoids, molecular biology and immunological techniques, confocal microscopy and bioinformatic analyses will be provided.