BBSRC White Rose DTP Studentships in Mechanistic Biology
University of Sheffield
Research into life-governing processes at all levels of organisation,
from the atomic scale to the whole organism.
Deadline for applications: 25th January 2013 (unless specified)
The White Rose University Consortium (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York) invite applications for its doctoral training programme to study at the University of Sheffield in Mechanistic Biology for September/October 2013 entry.
We offer a 4-year programme of integrated research and skills training, with cross-disciplinary supervision and opportunities for professional internships with external partners.
Our vision is to train researchers of the future equipped to address and solve fundamental and strategic biological questions of national and global importance in the following areas:
• Food Security
• Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
• World Class Bioscience
The programme builds on the excellent track records of the Universities of Leeds (The Faculties of Biological Sciences and Maths and Physical Science), Sheffield (Faculty of Science) and York (Departments of Biology and Chemistry) as leading centres of research and training in molecular and cellular biosciences.
We welcome applications from students with first degrees in Biological, Chemical or Physical Sciences. For successful applicants, the studentships would provide funding for tuition fees and living stipend at the current Research Council UK rates (subject to eligibility). Please note that EU citizens must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years to be eligible for full support.
For project outlines for the University of Sheffield and details of the application process, please see below: (Details of projects available in Leeds and York can be found on their webpages and also at findaphd.com).
How to apply:
Applicants should have or expect to achieve an undergraduate honours degree at 2.1 or higher in a relevant field.
Complete the online application. Including the following documents:
a) a CV (including reference details) We will NOT contact your referees; it is your responsibility to request references and ensure we receive them
b) transcripts if available.
Available Projects (please contact individual supervisors for further information)
Supervisors: Prof David Kelly and Dr John Rafferty
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Title: Understanding the resistance of pathogenic bacteria to host innate defences
Bacterial pathogens must resist host innate defences upon infection, but how they do this is not completely understood. We have recently discovered a previously unknown type of bacterial resistance mechanism against components of the innate immune system. This exciting project will investigate the structure and function of this system in a range of human pathogenic bacteria by an interdisciplinary approach involving molecular microbiology, protein biochemistry and structural biology.
For further information contact Prof David Kelly (d.kelly@@sheffield.ac.uk)
Supervisors: Prof Simon Foster and Dr Simon Jones
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Title: Bacterial Cell Wall Mapping at the Nanoscale
Bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan is essential for viability and its biosynthesis is the target for important antibiotics such as penicillin. The application of novel methods in super resolution microscopy is beginning to reveal the complex architecture of this important polymer. The project will develop novel chemical probes, coupled with state of the art microscopy analysis to map the nanoscale architecture and dynamics of peptidoglycan during growth and the action of antibiotics.
For further information contact Prof Simon Foster (s.foster@sheffield.ac.uk)
Supervisors: Prof Robert Poole (Sheffield) with Prof Peter Henderson (Leeds)
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Title: CO-releasing molecules as novel antimicrobial agents: mechanisms of transport and resistance
CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs) allow CO to be administered safely and exert potent antibacterial activities distinct from conventional antibiotics. However, we know nothing about how CO-RMs are transported and release CO inside cells. This project aims to determine the pathways for CO-RMs across bacterial membranes by combining molecular genetic and membrane biological approaches. The student will undertake the first aspects in Sheffield and the second in Leeds, but there is much flexibility.
For further information contact Prof Robert Poole (r.poole@sheffield.ac.uk)
Supervisors: Prof Mike Williamson and Dr Jim Thomas
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Title: Structural studies on luminescent probes for quadruplex DNA
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.
For further information contact Prof Mike Williamson (m.williamson@sheffield.ac.uk)
Supervisors: Prof Stuart A Wilson and Dr Mark Dickman
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Title: The assembly of the human TREX mRNA export complex
The transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is an essential step in human gene expression. This project will use a wide range of in vitro biochemical and in vivo molecular cell biology techniques to understand how the dynamic TREX mRNA export complex is assembled in human cells. For recent publications from the labs see Nature Communications (2012) 3:1006 , Science (2011) 324:821-4 , Genes and Development (2010) 24:2043-53 and see https://www.shef.ac.uk/mbb/staff/wilson
For further information contact Prof Stuart Wilson (stuart.wilson@sheffield.ac.uk)