CLOSTNET- 22 Exciting PhD Opportunities Across Europe

22 EXCITING PhD RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN CLOSTRIDIA
ACROSS 7 EU MEMBER STATES
Marie Curie Initial Training Network (CLOSTNET) on the molecular biology of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Clostridium species: Nottingham, Exeter, Rostock, Munich, Helsinki, Maribor, Rome, Marseille, Boxmeer, Toulouse, Cambridge

Early Stage Researchers
Early Stage Researchers (predoctoral) fellowships are available across seven Member States with the CLOSTNET Marie Curie Training Network (ITN) http://www.clostridia.net/clostnet-intro.html
The genus Clostridium is a large and important group of bacteria, from both a medical and industrial perspective. Thus:
1) Clostridium difficile is now one of Europe’s most important causes of hospital infection.
2) Clostridium perfringens is causing devastation in the European poultry industry.
3) Clostridium botulinum continues to fuel public concerns over its misuse by bioterrorists.
4) Clostridium acetobutylicum offers hope in potential sustainable biofuel production.
5) Clostridium sporogenes & C. novyi offer novel cures for treating cancer.
As a consequence, there is an urgent need to better understand the basic biology of these important bacteria to counter the diseases they cause and exploit their potential benefits. Using cutting edge technology and pulling together the expertise from centres of excellence across Europe, “CLOSTNET” aims to meet this need. This four year, £5 million project is funded by the EU Marie Curie FP7 People Programme and involves academic and industrial partners from seven European Member States. Specific workpackages will focus on: (i) Global Gene Regulation; (ii) Spore Formation and Germination; (iii) Secretion of Pathogenic Determinants and Hydrolytic Enzymes; (iv) Metabolism, and; (v) Genome Plasticity. The programme will include five workshops and two open Clostridia conferences.
CLOSTNET represents a unique opportunity for a total of 22 researchers of any nationality or country of residence to pursue a PhD based at one of these centres of excellence (two students per centre). Each PhD will be for 36 months and will involve up to six months secondment to a partner laboratory.
Each of the 11 Partners will take on 2 students each, ie., 22 in total.
Fellows will be expected to begin their studies no later than 31st August 2010.
For more details please see:
http://www.clostridia.net/clostnet-intro.html
Please apply online at:
https://clostridia2.nottingham.ac.uk/