PhD Vacancies

This page lists current vacancies, but you should also contact those members of staff whose research interests you to discuss possible projects that will be available in the near future (e-mail accounts are given in the staff pages).

There are 30 new PhD studentships offered every year in the department across a broad range of subject areas, fully funded by EPSRC, BBSRC, charities and industry. Whatever your interests, we have research opportunites that will provide you with the range of experience you want and equip you with the expertise you will need in your future career.

Structural studies on luminescent probes for quadruplex DNA

As part of a new White Rose Doctoral Training centre in Mechanistic Biology, the above PhD in the research groups of Dr Jim A Thomas and Prof Mike Williamson (MBB) is now available for next academic year.

Quadruplex DNA is emerging as a physiologically important form of DNA involved in gene regulation. We have synthesised a compound that is transported into cells and luminesces when bound to quadruplex DNA in the antiparallel ‘basket’ form, thereby pinpointing its cellular location. The aim of the project is to synthesise a second generation compound that has even better specificity for basket structure, use it in cellular assays, and determine the structure of the complex through high-field NMR studies.

If you are interested in this project, please contact Dr Jim Thomas in the first instance.