PhD scholarship from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), New Zealand – ESR
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to develop novel surrogates for studying the mobility and persistence of Legionella in simulated plumbing systems under the influence of residual disinfectants. The PhD study forms part of a 3-year multi-disciplinary Marsden Fund project awarded by the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Engineered water systems (EWS), such as premise plumbing, can harbour Legionella pneumophila, which can cause severe pneumonia. Despite numerous legionellosis outbreaks, the behaviour of L. pneumophila in EWS is poorly understood. For the first time, food-grade biodegradable encapsulated biopolymer microparticles will be used to study how Legionella attach/detach and persist in these systems (including those grown with biofilms and amoebae) in the presence of residual disinfectants. The mimics will be compared alongside live L. pneumophila to validate their suitability as a model. We aim to develop a safe, inexpensive, detection-sensitive surrogate for L. pneumophila that can be used for in-situ investigations of L. pneumophila risk in EWS.
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