Wessex One Health BBSRC scholarship: Investigating how virial infection impacts RNA degradation and mitochondrial biology

This project is offered as part of a doctoral programme funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC). Postgraduate researchers are trained in interdisciplinary approaches to Infection Biosciences across all classes of pathogens, to combat existing and future disease threats to human and animal health, including emerging infections, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance and food insecurity. The PhD studentship covers four years of UK or International PhD fees and a tax free maintenance allowance of £20,780 per year (2024-5 rate) plus some research and travel costs. This specific project investigates how viral infection impacts RNA degradation and mitochondrial biology, focusing on DIS3L2 activity during viral infection and its role in both degrading viral and metabolic RNAs, contributing to mitochondrial adaptation during infection. The research is a collaborative project between the University of Sussex and The Pirbright Institute, using advanced transcriptomic, molecular and bioinformatic approaches together with viral and metabolic assays to improve understanding of RNA decay and mitochondrial function during viral infection.