Thesis supervisor: Jácint Tökölyi
Location of studies (in Hungarian): Life Science Building Abbreviation of location of studies: ÉTK
Description of the research topic:
Animals form complex communities with microbial organisms and a growing list of research suggests that these communities can affect (either improve or reduce) host health and fitness. In the freshwater cnidarian Hydra, bacteria associated with the host affect growth, movement, resistance to fungal infection and tumor development.
Recently, our group has discovered that environmental microbiota living in the normal habitat of these animals (i.e. lake water bacteria) interact with hydra or their host-associated microbiota, such that removal of these microorganisms from the environment has detrimental effects on hydra. This phenomenon is very similar to the “sterile environment effect” observed in vertebrates, where development in an environment devoid of microorganisms results in detrimental health effects (such as the development of allergies and auto-immune diseases in humans).
The aim of this Phd project is to understand the mechanisms behind the “sterile environment effect” in hydra. To this end, we will use a combination of animal and bacterial culturing methods, infection experiments, microbial community analysis and transcriptomics.
The project is funded by the prestigious Momentum Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which means that the standard Phd stipend can be doubled to cover the living costs of the applicant. Please contact the PI (Dr. Jácint Tökölyi; jtokolyi@mailbox.unideb.hu) for more detail.
Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2024-05-15
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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