Thesis

(online since 06.11.2020)

Short description of the thesis:

Dogs can encounter different types of potentially stressful situations in their daily lives. Although socialization, training, and management can help dogs to deal with such situations, it is worth exploring additional tools that could help dogs coping with the stressors of their daily lives in a safe, fast and efficient way. We aim at testing whether the administration of CBD (cannabidiol) oil, a hemp extract with known anxiolytic effects in humans and rodents, can help dogs to better cope with stressful situations, such as go the veterinarian and taking a train in the underground. We will measure dogs' behaviour and salivary cortisol levels before and after the stressor, comparing the effect of CBD oil administration to a placebo.

Requirements:

Theoretical knowledge on nutrition, physiology and dog behavior.

Further information:

The student will learn how to design behavioral studies, conduct behavioral testing, analyse dog behaviours live and from videos, and will be introduced to salivary cortisol analysis (EIA).

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of the thesis: 6 months
• Start: January 2021
• Language of thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Name of Unit: Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology
• Contact person: Giulia Cimarelli, PhD
  Send E-Mail to Giulia Cimarell
  
  Response required until 30.11.2020

(online since: 04.09.2018)

Short description of the thesis:

Histomonosis of poultry is caused by the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis. In turkeys the disease often causes high mortality compared to chickens. Studies on the adapted immune response against the disease revealed several peculiarities for the two closely related avian species. However, there is no information on the role of toll-like receptors (TLRs) during the immune defense against H. meleagridis. Elucidating changes in TLR expressions during infection of immune cells of chickens reveals responses of the innate immune system and can contribute to understand the disease outcome.

Within this project, a diploma thesis is available for measuring TLR-expression by RT-qPCR using an in vitro system. The main objective is to understand the innate immune response of immune cells of chickens against parasite. Technically, you will be closely supervised and acquainted with the different molecular biology procedures.

Requirements:

• theoretical/basic knowledge of RT-qPCR or PCR

Further information:

none

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of thesis: 5 to 7 months
• Start: asap
• Language of thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Institute: University Clinic for Poultry and Fish
• Contact:
  Dieter Liebhart
  Send E-Mail to Dieter Liebhart
  T +43 1 25077-4728

mailto:surya.paudel(at)vetmeduni.ac.at(Online since 27.10.2020)

Short description of the thesis:

Escherichia coli infection might lead to colibacillosis in different age groups of chickens and is one of the most economically important diseases around the globe. The clinic has a large collection of E. coli isolates obtained from defined clinical cases. The diploma thesis is announced to test the pathogenicity of selected isolates having different combinations of virulence associated genes in chicken embryos. The thesis provides an excellent opportunity to be acquainted with the standard procedure of embryo lethality assay and necropsy. The embryo inoculation is one of the versatile laboratory test system with manifold importance such as virus isolation, comparing pathogenicity of isolates etc.

Requirements:

Theoritical knowledge of bacterial pathogenicity

Further information:

-

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of thesis: 4-6 months
• Start: as soon as possible
• Language of thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Institute: Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine (Unit of Poultry Medicine)
• Contact: Dr. Surya Paudel
  Send E-Mail to Surya Paudel
  T +43 1 25077-4734
   

(Online since 21.02.2020)

Short description of the thesis:

From late 2018 until the end of 2019, many fowlpox outbreaks took place in chicken and turkey farms in Austria, affecting markedly the performance of the flocks. It is known that fowlpoxviruses can persist in the environment and that birds can get infected by inhalation or ingestion of contaminated dust or aerosols. Thus, the announced diploma thesis provides an excellent opportunity to be acquainted with techniques such as viral isolation and histopathology, which will be used to investigate dust samples from affected flocks.

Requirements:

From late 2018 until the end of 2019, many fowlpox outbreaks took place in chicken and turkey farms in Austria, affecting markedly the performance of the flocks. It is known that fowlpoxviruses can persist in the environment and that birds can get infected by inhalation or ingestion of contaminated dust or aerosols. Thus, the announced diploma thesis provides an excellent opportunity to be acquainted with techniques such as viral isolation and histopathology, which will be used to investigate dust samples from affected flocks.

Further information:

In-vitro viral replication and classical histological techniques will be performed in this project.

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of the thesis: 3-5 months
• Start: as soon as possible
• Language of the thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Organisational Unit: Unit for Poultry Medicine
• Contact person: Dr. Miguel Matos
  Send E-Mail to Miguel Matos
  T +43 1 25077-4734

(Online since 21.02.2020)

Short description of the thesis:

Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), caused by fowl adenoviruses, is an economically important disease reported in chicken flocks worldwide. There are so far no licensed commercial vaccines against the disease. Ongoing research at the Clinic for Poultry, and the associated Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Poultry Vaccines (IPOV), is therefore dedicated to the development of subunit vaccines to prevent IBH. This project focuses on the investigation of samples collected during a recently performed animal study, in which a new IBH subunit vaccine, and its cross-protective potential against different fowl adenovirus serotypes, was tested.

Requirements:

Theoretical knowledge of basic molecular biology, veterinary virology and pathology.

Further information:

We are looking for an ambitious candidate with interest in learning and applying histopathological and molecular techniques (processing of organ/tissue samples for subsequent microscopical analysis, viral isolation, real-time PCR). The acquired data will contribute to assess the efficacy of the tested vaccine.

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of the thesis: 4-6 months
• Start: as soon as possible
• Language of the thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Organisational Unit: Unit for Poultry Medicine
• Contact person: Dr. Anna Schachner
  Send E-Mail to Anna Schachner
  T +43 1 25077-4727

(online since 20.11.2020)

Short description of the thesis:

Over the past years, Vienna has developed into one of the leading centres of population genetics. The Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics has been founded to provide a training opportunity for PhD students to build on this excellent on-site expertise.

We invite applications from highly motivated and outstanding students with a love for evolutionary research and a background in one of the following disciplines: evolutionary genetics, functional genetics, theoretical or experimental population genetics, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics.

Topics include:

• Evolution from de novo mutations-influence of elevated mutation rates.
• Evolution of sex-specific neuronal signaling.
• Genomic architecture of reverse selection.
• Inference of selection signatures from time-series data.
• Long-term dynamics of local Drosophila populations.
• Temperature adaptation in Drosophila: phenotypic adaptation.
• Understanding polygenic adaptation.

Requirements:

Only complete applications (application form, CV, motivation letter, university certificates, indication of the two preferred topics in a single pdf) received by January 17, 2021 will be considered. Two letters of recommendation need to be sent directly by the referees.

Further information:

Depending on the project, PhD degrees will be awarded either in genetics, mathematics or statistics. PhD students will receive a monthly salary based on currently EUR 2.205,60 before tax according to the regulations of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

Key data of the thesis:

• Duration of thesis: 3 years
• Start: September 2021 or earlier
• Language of thesis: English

Key data of the organisational unit:

• Institute: Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics
• Contact:
  Dr. Julia Hosp
  Send E-Mail to Julia Hosp

Response required until 17.01.2021