About the Project
Interested individuals must follow steps 1, 2 and 3 on this link on how to apply:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/biology/postgraduate/pgr/how-to-apply
If you would like us to consider you for one of our scholarships you must apply by 5.00pm on the 16th January 2015 at the latest.
Rhodococcus sp. have evolved to produce both protein- and lipid-based microcompartments. The former to isolate enzymes and metabolic pathways from the rest of the cell in order to protect the cell from toxic chemical intermediates and enhance enzyme efficiency through substrate channelling [1], and the latter for storage of metabolic products [2][3]. Reverse engineering and repurposing these compartments for use as reaction chambers and storage containers for high-value products is of great interest in industrial biotechnology applications.
You will determine the conditions under which these compartments are produced, separate and characterise their protein and small-molecule components. You will then determine their potential to be produced recombinantly and repurposed for use in industrial biotechnology. You will receive training in molecular biology and biochemistry with a focus on applying synthetic biology approaches to the production of engineered microcompartments. This project will be industrially focused, with an aim to produce chemicals useful to industry through the degradation of lignin and paper-milling waste. It will also capitalise on a recent China Partnering Award in Synthetic Biology awarded to Dr Horsfall and provide opportunities for training exchange at the CAS Institute of Biophysics, Beijing, under the guidance of Prof. Pingsheng Liu.
This project will be jointly supervised by Dr Horsfall (http://horsfall.bio.ed.ac.uk) and Dr Marles-Wright (www.marles-wright-lab.org) and includes the option for brief study in China, at the CAS Institute of Biophysics.
References
[1] Assembly in vitro of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 Encapsulin and Peroxidase DypB to form a Nano-Compartment. Rahmanpour R, Bugg TDH. FEBS J. 2013; 280(9): 2097–2104.
[2] The complete genome of Rhodococcus sp. RHA1 provides insights into a catabolic powerhouse. McLeod MP, Warren RL, Hsiao WWL, Araki N, Myhre M, Fernandes C, Miyazawa D, Wong W, Lillquist AL, Wang D, Dosanjh M, Hara H, Petrescu A, Morin RD, Yang G, Stott JM, Schein JE, Shin H, Smailus D, Siddiqui AS, Marra MA, Jones SJM, Holt R, Brinkman FSL, Miyauchi K, Fukuda M, Davies JE, Mohn WW, Eltis LD. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006; 103(42): 15582–15587.
[3] Integrated omics study delineates the dynamics of lipid droplets in Rhodococcus opacus PD630. Chen Y, Ding Y, Yang L, Yu J, Liu G, Wang X, Zhang S, Yu D, Song L, Zhang H, Zhang C, Huo L, Huo C, Wang Y, Du Y, Zhang H, Zhang P, Na H, Xu S, Zhu Y, Xie Z, He T, Zhang Y, Wang G, Fan Z, Yang F, Liu H, Wang X, Zhang X, Zhang MQ, Li Y, Steinbüchel A, Fujimoto T, Cichello S, Yu J, Liu P. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014; 42(2): 1052–1064.
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