Supervisors: Dr Rob Noad and Professor Dirk Werling

Department: Pathobiology and Population Sciences

Project Detail:

Understanding how pathogens cause disease is a key question in immunology and microbiology. However, this can be difficult to study because it involves complex, dynamic interactions between the host and the invading microorganism. Although whole‑animal infection models can provide valuable insights, they are not always ethically justifiable — especially when alternative methods now exist.

Recent advances such as organoids and organ culture systems have transformed how we can study disease. These modern in vitro approaches go beyond traditional cell culture, allowing researchers to examine host–pathogen interactions at the level of whole tissues. As the scientific community increasingly moves away from extensive animal use in research and drug discovery, these innovative models are becoming essential tools for the future of biomedical science.

One important disease where such models are potentially valuable is enzootic pneumonia, a major respiratory illness affecting pigs worldwide. This disease is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, which infects young pigs and leads to reduced growth, damage to the respiratory epithelium, and characteristic lung lesions. Despite its economic importance, many aspects of how the bacterium establishes infection, causes tissue damage, and evades the immune system remain poorly understood.

At the RVC, we are currently working on a BBSRC‑ and AHDB‑funded project aimed at developing better vaccines for enzootic pneumonia. As an MRes student, you will join this active research team and build on previous PhD work to further develop precision‑cut lung slice (PCLS) models. You will use these organ‑level cultures to investigate how specific bacterial genes contribute to disease development, lung pathology, and host immune responses.

Although the project focuses on a veterinary pathogen, the skills you will gain are highly transferable across biomedical research. These would include: 

• Tissue and organ culture techniques (e.g., PCLS)
• Genetic manipulation of bacteria (e.g., base editing)
• Immunological and molecular assays
• Data interpretation and critical analysis
• Experience working within an active, multidisciplinary research environment

Students interested in this project are encouraged to contact the supervisors for more information: Dr. Rob Noad (rnoad@rvc.ac.uk) and Professor Dirk Werling (dwerling@rvc.ac.uk).

References:

1. Majorova D, Atkins E, Martineau H, Vokral I, Oosterhuis D, Olinga P, Wren B, Cuccui J, Werling D. Use of Precision-Cut Tissue Slices as a Translational Model to Study Host-Pathogen Interaction. Front Vet Sci. 2021 Jun 4;8:686088. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.686088
2. Ipoutcha T, Rideau F, Gourgues G, Arfi Y, Lartigue C, Blanchard A, Sirand-Pugnet P. Genome Editing of Veterinary Relevant Mycoplasmas Using a CRISPR-Cas Base Editor System. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2022 Sep 13;88(17):e0099622. doi: 10.1128/aem.00996-22.
3. Maglennon GA, Cook BS, Matthews D, Deeney AS, Bossé JT, Langford PR, Maskell DJ, Tucker AW, Wren BW, Rycroft AN; BRaDP1T consortium. Development of a self-replicating plasmid system for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Vet Res. 2013 Jul 29;44(1):63. doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-63.

Essential

• Must meet our standard MRes entry requirements
• Ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and understand core bioscience principles.
• Interest in pursuing a research-oriented mode of study
• Ability to design experiments, analyse data, and engage with scientific problem‑solving.
• Willingness to perform laboratory work, including the use of animal tissues.

Desirable

• Relevant microbiology/molecular biology/immunology laboratory experience.
• Experience of working with mycoplasma species
• Prior experience of writing scientific reports or papers.

This can be taken full-time or part-time (12months FTE) commencing in October 2026, based at RVC's Hawkshead campus.

 Partially funded: The MRes student will be expected to meet their course fees and living expenses. All other project costs will be met by the supervisor.

Please note that EU/EEA and Swiss national students may no longer be eligible for the “Home” rate of tuition fees, dependent on personal circumstances (including immigration status and residence history in the UK) and UK government rules which are currently being developed. For up-to-date information on fees for EU/EEA and Swiss national students following Brexit please see our fees and funding page.

How to apply:

Deadline: 8th May 2026 

For more information on the application process and English Language requirements see How to Apply

Interviews will take place remotely (Teams, Zoom etc) within 4 weeks of the closing date.

We welcome informal enquiries - these should be directed to rnoad@rvc.ac.uk  or dwerling@rvc.ac.uk