Research assistant (praedoc) (m/f/d) - Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin - Institut für Parasitologie und Tropenveterinärmedizin

Job description:
As members of the German Research Foundation (DFG)-funded Research Training Group (GRK) 3096 “One Health Approach to Soil-Transmitted Helminths,” successful applicants will work on scientific projects in an interdisciplinary manner within a structured program. The projects address the three “One Health” aspects: 1) human roundworm infections (close cooperation and fieldwork in Kenya/Africa), 2) roundworm infections in farm animals (chickens and pigs in Germany), and 3) environmental factors (sociological and economic field studies in Kenya and Germany). The GRK will thus incorporate human, animal, and environmental aspects into the research and training of candidates in order to train “One Health” infectious disease specialists. After four years of training in the structured doctoral program and the acquisition of at least 30 CP, candidates have the opportunity to obtain a certificate for the successful completion of a graduate school.
The project based in the Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine (P6)
focuses on the following aspects:
P6: Drug-efflux/metabolism as putative benzimidazole resistance mechanism in Ascaris spp.
Following decades of heavy reliance of anthelmintics concerning the treatment and control of helminth infections in both human and veterinary medicine, nowadays, more and more drug resistant worm populations occur. This meanwhile represents one of the most urgent threats to animal health and productivity. Furthermore, this also is a great concern for the success of mass-drug-administration programs e.g. in school children in many countries where this is employed particularly to control the highly endemic Ascaris spp. infections. Based on recent own findings ascarids, when compared to other intestinal helminths such as strongyles, obviously exhibit a different mechanism of resistance against the benzimidazole anthelmintics. These are the most frequently used drugs to treat this group of worms both in humans and animals. While in strongyles benzimidazole resistance is mostly associated with amino-acid changes in a beta-tubulin protein as the drug target, this mechanism is lacking in resistant ascarid populations. This lack of understanding of the BZ resistance mechanism is a serious constraint for any attempts to monitor drug efficacy in the field. Accordingly, this project aims at elucidating this issue by experimentally examining the role of ascarid drug efflux and metabolizing pathways (DEMP). These include P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transmembrane transporters, cytochrome P 450 enzymes or UGT-transferases. Ascaris DEMPs will be expressed and functionally characterized in the C. elegans model. In addition, gene expression pre/post benzimidazole treatment will be evaluated in Ascaris field isolates as well as following in vitro exposure of live worms and Ascaris eggs. This will show if DEMP related mechanisms provide resistance to the standard drug class employed for the treatment of human/livestock Ascaris infections.

Requirements:
Master or similar degree in a relevant subject (e.g., Parasitology, Biology, Veterinary Medicine, Biochemistry or similar)
Desirable:

• Knowledge of English language – written and oral (English is the program‘s language- though without English language skills, a membership in RTG 3096 is not possible)
• Knowledge in Parasitology (Helminths) / Veterinary Medicine (Workshops, lectures, courses)
• Interest in interdisciplinary working (with ecologists, social scientists, modeling)
• Skills to work in a team, time management
• Experience in working with the Caenorhabditis elegans in vitro model
• Interest in field work in Kenya / Africa
  Further Information on the Research Training Group „One Health“ and all offered positions:
  https://www.vetmed.fu-berlin.de/en/einrichtungen/sonstige/grk3096

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