CASE: Development of a toolbox to characterise the structural cell compartment of the human lung
University of Registration: University of Leicester
Non-academic partner: Professor Nicola Burgess-Brown (Structural Genomics Consortium)
Secondary Supervisor(s): Professor David Cousins
Project Outline
Over the past three decades, breakthroughs in immunology have transformed how we understand and treat cancer and inflammatory diseases — powered by reliable research tools that can pinpoint specific immune cell types. Fibroblasts, the cells that build and remodel connective tissues, are just as important in health and disease, but remain poorly understood because we lack robust protein markers to distinguish their many subtypes.
In this PhD, you'll help close that gap. You'll be based in the UK's only YCharOS laboratory, working with both academic and industry partners to develop high-quality antibodies for single-cell analysis - essential tools for mapping fibroblast diversity.
You'll learn how to grow fibroblasts from healthy human lung tissue, use advanced proteomics to discover new cell-surface and secreted markers, and develop recombinant antibodies with the Structural Genomics Consortium. You'll then assemble ready-to-use panels for cutting-edge flow cytometry and "barcoded" single-cell analysis, combining protein and RNA measurements in the same cells.
By the end of your project, you will have:
- Produced the first open-access, protein-level atlas of fibroblast diversity in healthy human lung
- Created a reproducible antibody toolkit for fibroblast research, shared openly worldwide
- Gained expertise in:
o Primary cell culture from human tissue
o Advanced proteomics and biomarker discovery
o Antibody development and validation
o High-parameter flow cytometry and single-cell transcriptomics
o Working within a unique academic-industry open science collaboration
The tools and datasets you generate will enable fibroblast research to achieve the same level of precision that has already transformed immunology.
References
1. https://doi.org/10.1513%2FAnnalsATS.201602-095AWLink opens in a new window (Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2016)
2. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.91645.2Link opens in a new window (eLife, 2023)
Application
Deadline: 27 November 2025.
To apply for a CASE studentship, please check your eligibility and complete the MIBTP application process.
Please ensure that you:
- Apply directly to the University of Leicester
- Clearly state you are applying for a CASE project and stipulate the project title
- Please also complete the online ED&I formLink opens in a new window
