PhD opportunities at LISCB
Current PhD Opportunities at LISCB
4-year Royal Society Wolfson studentship with Professor Peter Moody
Using single crystal spectroscopy and neutron crystallography we have been able to see the hydrogen positions in catalytic intermediates of heme peroxidases. This project aims to take advantage of the latest exciting developments in structural biology techniques to explore the catalytic mechanisms of these and other redox enzymes. LISCB is well equipped for structural biology (see https://www2.le.ac.uk/institutes/liscb/facilities-and-technologies ). We expect to undertake external experimental work at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron near Oxford, the Neutron sources in Grenoble, Munich or Tennessee, and the XFELs in Japan and Hamburg.
4-year Graduate Teaching Assistantship Studentships in the Department of Chemistry
These LISCB projects are in the competition for two 4-year Graduate Teaching Assistantship Studentships in the Department of Chemistry. Click on the links below for more details and to apply. Funding covers 4 years of stipend at the UKRI rates (currently £15,009 for 2019/0 entry) and 4 years tuition fees at UK/EU rates.
Project: Probing the Chemical Space of Heterobifunctional Molecules Targeting the Epigenome
Supervisors: Dr James Hodgkinson and Professor Shaun Cowley
Project: Deciphering acetaldehyde biochemistry using small molecule tools: from hangovers to cancer
Supervisors: Dr Richard Hopkinson and Dr Sandeep Handa
3-year LISCB PhD Studentships in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. Deadline 6 January
The following projects are in competition for three LISCB studentships.Click on the links below for more details and to apply. Funding covers 3 years of stipend at the UKRI rates (currently £15,009 for 2019/0 entry) and 3 years tuition fees at UK/EU rates.
For full project details please click on the links on this page
Project: Targeting the EML4-NEK9-NEK7 complex in drug-resistant EML4-ALK lung cancer
Supervisors: Professor Andrew Fry, Professor John Schwabe and Dr Sam Khan
Project: Structural investigations to reveal how splicing factors cooperate or compete for pre-mRNA binding?
Supervisors: Dr Cyril Dominguez and Professor Ian Eperon
Project: Structural mechanism of signal-dependent gene transcription
Supervisors: Professor Daniel Panne and Dr Andrey Revyakin
Project: Protein condensates and phase separation: Understanding of molecular mechanism of microtubule anchoring
Supervisors: Dr Kayoko Tanaka and Dr Andrey Revyakin
Project: Defining how reactive small molecules in cells regulate the oncogenic KRAS.G12C GTPase
Supervisors: Dr Richard Hopkinson and Dr Kayoko Tanaka
Project: Understanding epigenetic complexes that regulate gene expression
Supervisors: Professor John Schwabe and Dr James Hodgkinson
Project: Structural Characterization of the Interleukin-17AA, FF and AF/Receptor Complexes: Insights into the Cooperativity and Assembly of the Heterotrimeric Signalling Complex.
Supervisors: Professor Mark Carr, Dr Lorna Waters and Dr Gareth Hall
Project: Characterising the function of PRPF40 in spliceosome assembly at the single molecule level.
Supervisors: Dr Olga Makarova and Professor Ian Eperon
Project: Structures and function of human UGGT1 complexes for rare disease
Supervisors: Dr Pietro Roversi and Dr Kees Straatman
Project: Novel NMR approaches for detection and quantification of allosteric and dynamic effects affecting protein-drug interactions
Supervisors: Professor Geerten Vuister and Dr Fred Muskett
Project: Control of gene expression by RNA-binding proteins
Supervisor: Professor Ian Eperon
Project: Molecular modelling of P2X receptor function
Supervisors: Dr Ralf Schmid and Dr Catherine Vial
Project: Modulation of cell fate decisions to define novel cancer therapies
Supervisors: Dr Salvador Macip and Dr Joanna Fox
Project: Epigenetic signalling mechanisms of SET domain proteins
Supervisors: Dr Thomas Schalch and Dr Cyril Dominguez
Funding
There are three routes to funding a PhD apart from applying to the above opportunities, through the MRC IMPACT or BBSRC MIBTP schemes or by applying to College of Life Science Studentships. Students who are interested in doing doctoral research at the Institute are encouraged to apply to these and get in touch with us (email Tennie Videler at hv33@le.ac.uk) beforehand. We can support you to put in the strongest possible application as these are very competitive.
IMPACT (Integrated Midlands Partnership for Biomedical Training) Deadline 17 January
A Doctoral Training Programme funded by the MRC between the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham, and Leicester. Doctoral students benefit from a diverse range of skills within the cohort, stimulating students to think ‘outside the box’ and perform innovative, world-leading research. The partner universities contribute project ideas, which prospective doctoral students choose from, current LISCB projects are:
Project: ADAMTS13 structure in normal and disease states
Supervisors: Professor Jonas Emsley University of Nottingham, Dr Neil Morgan University of Birmingham and Professor John Schwabe
Project: Regulation of CADM1 Alternative Splicing
Supervisors: Professor Ian Eperon, Professor Peter Bradding and Dr Cyril Dominguez
Project: Unravelling the enigma of why humans require seven distinct histone deacetylase complexes – implications for therapeutic intervention
Supervisors: Professor John Schwabe and Dr Paul Badenhorst University of Birmingham
You need to check your eligibility and apply to both the University of Leicester and the DTP.
The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership Deadline 12 January
A BBSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham and Leicester. All MIBTP scholars will join a programme of skills training in year 1. This includes short rotation projects (including LISCB projects) and students are able to choose a PhD project once they have experienced these differing research environments.
Project: Use of single molecule fluorescence and cryo-EM to study the regulation of RNA splicing
Supervisor: Professor Ian Eperon and Dr Andrew Hudson
Project: Detection in cells of protein interactions on pre-mRNA during the regulation of splicing
Supervisor: Professor Ian Eperon and Professor Shaun Cowley,
Project: Structural mechanism of signal-dependent gene transcription
Supervisors: Professor Daniel Panne and Dr Andrey Revyakin
Project: Single-molecule analysis of structure and function of human transcription complexes using DNA origami nano-robots
Supervisors: Dr Andrey Revyakin and Professor Daniel Panne
Project: Revealing molecular mechanisms of gene silencing
Supervisors: Professor Thomas Schalch and Professor Shaun Cowley
Project: Molecular Modelling of P2X receptor agonism and antagonism
Supervisor: Dr Ralf Schmid
Project: Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Histone Deacetylase Complexes
Supervisors: Professor John Schwabe and Professor Shaun Cowley
Project: Obtaining mechanistic insights into interplay of multiple effectors of oncogenic RAS molecules
Supervisors: Dr Kayoko Tanaka and Dr Andrey Revyakin
College PhD studentships
College PhD studentships are usually advertised around Christmas each year. As details become available, they will be added to this page. If you would like to be emailed with the information, please let Tennie Videler (hv33@le.ac.uk) know.
Why LISCB?
Profit from the informed teaching fuelled by the cutting-edge research at the Institute
- Access to the world class facilities at the Institute as well as the facilities at the University such as the award-winning David Wilson Library
- Members within the Institute will also benefit from the expertise and support from the Departments of Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology and Respiratory Sciences.