Θέση PhD με υποτροφία

University of Strathclyde, Glascow, Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry

Applications are invited for an EPSRC Industrial CASE PhD studentship in the development new synthetic biological methods to study the regulation of genes by alternative RNA splicing.

Background – Alternative RNA splicing is a biological process which regulates protein diversity by cutting RNA sequences then rearranging portions of these sequences to form up to seven different types of mature messenger RNA isoforms. Alternative RNA splicing is essential to the regular functioning of eukaryotic cells and misregulation of this process results in the onset of up to 15 % of all cancers.

The project – This studentship aims to elucidate the critical molecular interactions that the cell uses to regulate this process known as splice site selection. You will prepare a suite of small molecule probes and non-natural nucleotides by chemical synthesis that will be used to develop new methodology for site-specific tagging of RNA molecules. You will then apply this methodology to study the splicing profile of the known oncogene BCL-x and determine the key molecular characteristics for its mis-regulation in tumours.

Interdisciplinary collaboration – You will benefit from close interactions and collaboration with leading scientists in the area of RNA splicing (Prof. Ian Eperon, Department of Biochemistry, Leicester; Prof. Hing Leung, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research) and receive extensive training in all aspects of chemical synthesis, nucleic acid and protein chemistry and biochemical assays. This is an EPSRC-funded Industrial CASE studentship and will also involve close collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This position will involve a 3 month secondment to GSK's Stevenage site in the area of Synthetic Biology.

Candidates interested in this position should send a CV and contact details of two referees to glenn.burley AT strath.ac.uk.

International PhD students

You first need to apply for admission to the Graduate School at the University of Strathclyde (http://www.chem.strath.ac.uk/applying). For further information about the availability of scholarships, please contact Isabel Scott

www.burleylabs.co.uk/Positions.html

---