Characterising the functional homology of drug targets in aquatic animals

药物作用是通过特定的药物靶点介导的，在许多情况下，这些靶点在人类（预期接受者）和其他“非靶点”物种之间具有高度遗传保守性。许多生物体暴露于环境中的人类药物，因此它们的健康可能受到影响。我们已经确定了一些药物靶点，它们显示出特别高的遗传保守性（见：EcoDrug.org），但我们不知道的是这种相似性是否包括药物作用的保守性。本研究将试图了解这种关系。专注于对中枢神经系统起作用的药物，学生将使用尖端的遗传，显微成像，行为跟踪和分子技术来评估神经活性药物主要在但不一定限于脊椎动物（例如斑马鱼）和无脊椎动物（例如大型蚤）物种中的作用。这项工作将有助于增加我们对这些药物是否可能对水生环境产生影响的理解。学生将加入埃克塞特一个庞大而充满活力的研究团队，并将作为一个更广泛的欧洲项目的一部分工作，该项目专注于了解药物对环境的影响。学生还将有机会获得特殊的设施和专业知识在埃克塞特，并将接受广泛的培训，在生态毒理学，生物信息学，分子生物学，成像。学生还将受益于与阿斯利康的行业专家合作，从而大大提高他们的长期职业前景。

Pharmaceutical action is mediated through specific drug targets, and in many cases these targets are highly genetically conserved between humans (the intended recipient) and other 'non-target' species. Many organisms are exposed to human pharmaceuticals in the environment, and as such their health may be affected. We have identified a number of drug targets that show particularly high levels of genetic conservation (see: EcoDrug.org), but what we don't know is whether this similarity includes conservation of drug action. This studentship will seek to understand this relationship. Focussing on pharmaceuticals that act on the central nervous system, the student will use cutting- edge genetic, microscopic imaging, behavioural tracking and molecular techniques to assess the effects of neuroactive drugs principally in, but not necessarily limited to, vertebrate (e.g. zebrafish) and invertebrate (e.g. Daphnia magna) species. This work will help increase our understanding of whether these drugs are likely to cause an effect in the aquatic environment.The student will join a large and vibrant research team at Exeter and will work as part of a wider European project focussed on understanding the effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment. The student will also have access to exceptional facilities and expertise at Exeter, and will receive extensive training in ecotoxicology, bioinformatics, molecular biology, imaging. The student will also benefit from working with industry experts from AstraZeneca, thus greatly enhancing their long term career prospects.