MSc position University of Western Ontario

Regulation of capsular heptose modification in Campylobacter jejuni.

The Creuzenet lab, located in the Microbiology and Immunology department at the University of Western Ontario (London, ON), is seeking a MSc candidate for Fall 2025 to participate in research on this gastrointestinal bacterial pathogen.

The project focuses on the capsular heptose and will be conducted in collaboration with another MSc student entering their second year. This is an advanced project with a strong publication record (including Wong 2015, Barnawi 2021, Myles 2024, and five enzymology studies). Current research emphasizes enzyme inhibition and heptose synthesis regulation, having identified a potential new regulator.

The research involves two main components:

1. Biochemistry studies examining protein/enzyme interactions and protein/DNA interactions.
2. Microbiology approaches to characterize the new regulator through knockout mutagenesis and phenotypic analysis, including assessments of capsule production and its role in host-pathogen interactions with macrophages and epithelial cells.

Additional techniques include qRT-PCR and RNASeq on the regulator mutant to delineate its regulon.

The ideal candidate should possess a strong background in bacteriology, with an understanding of bacterial structures, their functions, and how these influence interactions with hosts and other bacterial components.