The University of Manchester
PhD Studentship
Established the influence of dietary fats on the phenotype of the intestinal mucosa through nutrigenomics
Gastrointestinal Sciences Research Group
Dr. Philip Padfield & Dr. John McLaughlin

The School of Translational Medicine is inviting applications for a prestigious three-year PhD studentship commencing from September 2008. The studentship is open to UK/EU nationals only due to the nature of the funding and will provide full UK/EU fees and project expenses.

This project will employ a nutrigenomic approach and establish in detail how the relative amount of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the diet influences the transcriptome of the intestinal mucosa.

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that diet, and in particular the fatty acid composition of the diet, can have either a profound positive or negative impact on the health and well being of an individual. To date the molecular basis of these responses is for the most part unknown. Nutrigenomics is an emerging discipline that employs a combination of systems biology techniques to elucidate how a specific dietary component or combination of components modifies the phenotype of individual cell types to influence health.

Humans evolved eating a diet that contained roughly equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs. However, the composition of the human diet particularly in the developed world has radically changed over the past fifty years. This has led to a profound increase in the consumption of omega-6 PUFAs relative to omega-3 PUFAs, so much so that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs in the typical western diet now ranges from 15:1 to 20:1. This imbalance in the consumption of PUFAs has been linked to the promotion of the pathogenesis of numerous chronic and debilitating diseases many of which are either directly or indirectly linked to inflammation - examples include inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

Studies in T-cells have demonstrated that omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs modulate the expression of a number of inflammatory genes and modify inflammation related intracellular signalling pathways. Despite this, virtually nothing is known about how omega-6 or omega-3 PUFAs influence the phenotype of the intestinal mucosa to render it either resistant or susceptible to inflammatory attack.

This project would suit a candidate with a minimum 2:1 (or equivalent) in the biological, biochemical or genetic sciences.
Interested candidates should submit a CV and detailed covering letter outlining their suitability for the project to Dr Philip Padfield at: philip.v.padfield@manchester.ac.uk

Contact details for two referees should also be provided.

For further details on the study or to confirm your suitability please contact Dr Padfield at the above address.

http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk...stinalsciences

http://www.mib.ac.uk/