MSc (Res) Opportunity – Characterising Hormone-Regulated Epithelial Transport and Cell Identity in a Novel Human Collecting Duct Model
Project Title:
Characterising Hormone-Regulated Epithelial Transport and Cell Identity in a Novel Human Collecting Duct Model
Supervisor(s):
Primary Supervisor: Dr Morag Mansley (University of St Andrews, School of Medicine)
Secondary Supervisor: Dr Javier Tello (University of St Andrews, School of Medicine)
Deadline:
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Project Description:
Precise control of extracellular fluid volume and electrolyte balance occurs in the kidneys, and disruption of these processes is associated with conditions such as hypertension, electrolyte disorders and chronic kidney disease. These processes depend on tightly regulated transport pathways across the epithelial cells lining the renal tubule. The distal nephron, particularly the collecting duct, represents the final site at which these transport processes can be adjusted before urine is excreted.
Despite the physiological and clinical importance of these processes, much of our current understanding of epithelial transport in this segment derives from non-human models. Importantly, studies across mammalian species have revealed differences in distal nephron organisation, raising questions about how electrolyte transport and its hormonal regulation operate within the human collecting duct. Progress in addressing this gap has been limited by restricted access to human kidney tissue and the lack of tractable experimental systems for studying collecting duct epithelium.
To address this challenge, we have recently established a primary human collecting duct epithelial culture model derived from microdissected renal tubules. Preliminary characterisation indicates that these cultures retain key epithelial features and display measurable transport activity, allowing collecting duct function to be examined under controlled experimental conditions. This model therefore provides an opportunity to investigate the cellular mechanisms that regulate electrolyte transport and how these processes are influenced by key hormones.
This project will use this model to investigate mechanisms regulating epithelial electrolyte transport.
Key objectives of the project include:
- Characterising epithelial phenotype in cultured cells relative to the source kidney tissue, examining junctional markers and key ion transport proteins and assessing whether these features are maintained across cell passages.
- Investigating epithelial electrolyte transport processes in polarised monolayers, including responses to hormones such as aldosterone and arginine vasopressin.
- Determining whether cultured cells retain markers of principal and intercalated cell populations, and whether this cellular composition can be influenced by changes in the extracellular environment.
This project will combine cellular, molecular and physiological approaches to study transport processes in polarised epithelial monolayers. Experimental work will include epithelial cell culture, electrophysiological measurements of transepithelial transport, immunofluorescence microscopy, and molecular analyses of protein and gene expression, techniques well established in our laboratory. Together, these approaches will provide an integrated assessment of epithelial phenotype, transport activity and regulatory mechanisms controlling epithelial transport in the human collecting duct. These studies will provide new insight into the cellular mechanisms regulating epithelial transport in the human collecting duct and establish a human experimental platform for studying pathways relevant to hypertension, electrolyte disorders and kidney disease.
School of Medicine Research Division:
Funding Details:
The home fee for this opportunity is funded. Please see the university website for fee information.
How to Apply:
If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please submit your application via the University’s online portal.
Please make sure your application is complete by Tuesday 28 April 2026.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants should normally hold, or expect to obtain, a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
Contact:
Enquiries about the application process can be directed to Sandra Fleming at [email protected].