Details
- Close date
- No date set
- Academic background
- Health Sciences
- Host campus
- Christchurch
- Qualification
- Honours
- Department
- Pathology and Biomedical Science (Christchurch)
- Supervisor
- Dr Rachel Purcell, Dr Arielle Sulit, Dr Christoph Goebl
Overview
Project outline
Recent research has demonstrated that the gut microbiome may play a role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC tumours arise from precancerous lesions, called polyps. Polyps can be adenomatous polyps or sessile serrated polyps, and they have very different underlying molecular pathways. Tumours arising from the different pathways have different prognoses and response to treatment. While differences in the microbiomes of the different tumour types have been described, very little is known about the microbiome of the pre-cancerous polyps, and whether differences in the polyp microbiome may contribute to underlying pathways of carcinogenesis.
This project will investigate differences in the microbiomes of polyps from a cohort of patients with either adenomas or sessile serrated lesions using 16S rRNA sequencing. Metabolomic analyses will be carried out on serum samples from the same patients to determine whether circulating metabolites differ between patients with different polyp types and whether these circulating metabolites associate with microbiome variations.
Preferred student expertise
Enthusiastic students with a molecular biology, microbiology or bioinformatics background and an interest in cancer, will be considered. Bioinformatics experience is an advantage but not required.
Further information
- UOC BBiomedSc(Hons) website
- Dr Rachel Purcell's profile page
- Department of Surgery and Critical Care (Bowel Cancer Research Aotearoa) website
- Mātai Hāora – Centre for Redox Biology and Medicine website
- Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science website
Contact
Dr Rachel Purcell
Email rachel.purcell@otago.ac.nz