​BEMB Trust sponsoring two new PhD projects from October 2024 to October 2028
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Following a call for new projects during 2023 which resulted in many high quality applications, the Trust decided to sponsor two new four year projects to start in October 2024. 

The first is a project led by Dr K Ganapathy at the University of Liverpool entitled "Development of nanoparticle-adjuvant and antigen-matching autogenous vaccine for Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and comparative evaluation against other MG live and inactivated vaccines."

The second project is led by Dr Sarah Keep at the Pirbright Institute entitled "Rational development of the next generation of vaccines for Infectious Bronchitis Virus".
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Richard Lloyd-Mills completes his PhD at the Natural Resources Institute
Richard investigated the molecular basis of chemically mediated interactions between the poultry red mite and domesticated chicken focusing on the molecular and chemical basis of poultry red mite chemosensing, with a view to exploring the development of a semiochemical lure to control poultry red mite.

This project was a collaboration between the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and Moredun Research Institute. During his PhD, Richard had the opportunity to work in and draw on expertise from both institutes, which is reflected in the broad nature of the research presented in his thesis. Pursuing this PhD has enabled Richard to start his career with Defra as a scientific officer in Westminster working on the regulation and policy of genetic technologies such as genome editing. In his first 6 months, Richard was part of the team responsible for bringing the Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 through parliament and used the scientific and agricultural knowledge gained during his PhD to advise on technical aspects of the Act. 
 
You can read a lay summary of Richard's PhD project here. Richard's full thesis can be found at the top of the list opposite.​

Isobel completes her PhD project at the Pirbright Institute

​Under the supervision of Dr Erica Bickerton at the Pirbright Institute, BEMB sponsored PhD student Isobel Webb submitted her thesis entitled "Investigation into the Role of the Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Envelope Protein in Viral Replication and Pathogenicity" during the latter part of 2022 and successfully passed her Viva early in 2023.
Isobel also had a paper accepted for publication in 'Viruses' which outlines her project and work. You can read the paper here. 

A lay summary of Isobel's PhD project can be read here and her full thesis can be downloaded from the list below.
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​Recently completed BEMB Sponsored PhD research project theses can be downloaded from the list below for anyone interested or for research purposes

1. Investigations into the molecular basis of chemically mediated interactions between the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae and the domesticated chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus. Thesis download here. 

2. Investigation into the Role of the Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Envelope Protein in Viral Replication and Pathogenicity by Dr Isobel Webb. Thesis download here.

3. Understanding population, genetic and antigenic diversity of the poultry red mite to improve prospects for successful vaccine development by Dr Eleanor Karp-Tatham.  Thesis download here.

4. Control of Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis (AIS) by Lactobacillus probiotics: understanding the mechanism of action of the binding of LAB to Brachyspira spp. for improved control by Dr Jade Passey.  Thesis download here.

​5. Control of poultry red mite: expression and administration of vaccine antigens to poultry in the protozoan parasite Eimeria tenella by Dr James Pritchard.  Thesis download here.