Details
- Close date
- Friday, 22 February 2019
- Academic background
- Sciences, Health Sciences
- Host campus
- Christchurch
- Qualification
- Honours
- Department
- Pathology and Biomedical Science (Christchurch)
- Supervisors
- Professor Madhav Bhatia, Professor Steve Chambers, Dr Sandy Slow, Dr Aamir Raja
Overview
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a leading cause of invasive fungal infection-related mortality and morbidity in patients with hematological malignancies and bone marrow transplants. The early and reliable differential diagnosis of IA is a major challenge. MARS Spectral CT imaging is a novel X-ray based imaging method which utilises a photon-counting detector to specifically identify and quantify components of tissues. If a specific cell or tissue type is labelled with a metal such as gold, then the unique X-ray attenuation profile of the gold can be identified and distinguished from all other substances. The long-term research objective is to develop a new MARS-based method for diagnosis of Aspergillus fumigatus infection. The immediate aim is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a gold nanoparticle coupled to a monoclonal antibody in an in vitro cell culture system.
Preferred student expertise
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Pathology
- Interest in infection
This project is one of the many available for the 2019 intake of BBiomedSc(Hons) at the University of Otago, Christchurch campus.
Further information
Visit the University of Otago, Christchurch website for more information about the Honours programme
Inflammation Research Group website
The Infection Group website
MARS Group website
Professor Madhav Bhatia's staff profile
Professor Steve Chambers' staff profile
Dr Sandy Slow's staff profile
Dr Aamir Raja's profile