structural biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Prague Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Structural Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions

PhD Position in Structural Parasitology. A position for a talented and self-motivated PhD student is open in the structural biology group at IOCB Prague lead by Dr. Read more

Supervisor: Dr S Zoll

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

University of Liverpool Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology

Exploiting Deep Learning-based protein structure prediction for function annotation and structural biology

Applications will be reviewed until a suitable candidate is appointed. Protein structural information is crucial for an understanding of protein function and evolution. Read more

Supervisors: Prof D J Rigden, Dr R Keegan

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) 4 Year PhD Programme

Fully Funded 4-Year Cheney Scholarship PhD Programme in In Situ Structural Biology

University of Leeds

Exciting new developments in imaging and structural methods, known as “in situ structural biology”, can reveal the structure and behaviour of biological macromolecules inside healthy and diseased cells and tissues. Read more

The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

(MRC DTP CASE) An Integrative Structural Biology Platform for Drug Discovery

Solute carriers (SLCs) are the second largest class of membrane-embedded proteins with over 400 members organised into 66 families. Read more

Supervisors: Dr A Politis, Dr CP Pliotas

13 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Molecular dissection of horizontal gene transfer mechanisms in mycobacteria

Supervisors: Dr A Koyamangalath Vadakkepat , Prof J Schwabe

A fully funded PhD position is available within the lab of Dr Abhinav KV at Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology (LISCB), University of Leicester, UK to carry out structural studies on large macromolecular machines that undertake horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in mycobacteria. Read more

29 April 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Medical University of Vienna Institute for Pathophysiologie and Allergy

Structure and activity of VDR and RARγ, their targeting compounds and complexes

The doctoral candidate (DC) will perform structural biology type research focused on obtaining, purifying and structural analysis of binding domains of VDR and RARγ full receptors, their targeting compounds and complexes formed by these receptors. Read more

Supervisor: Prof KW Woźniak

29 April 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

University of Birmingham School of Biosciences

125th Anniversary Scholarships for Black British Researchers - A new toolbox to monitor molecular switches

Technology advancement is critical to understand more about how biology works to design novel therapeutics. Structural mass spectrometry, is expanding rapidly and being used to solve broad, challenging questions in biology, chemistry and medicine both in industry and academia. Read more

Supervisors: Dr A Leney, Prof CM Carlomagno

30 April 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Join Our Quest to Unravel the Secrets of Eukaryotic Genomes!

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

We're on the lookout for passionate PhD students who are eager to delve deep into the mysteries of our DNA. Our quest? To understand the subtle changes that determine how our genes function, both in sickness and in health. Read more

Supervisor: Dr T Schalch

The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Investigating the interaction of La related proteins with colliding ribosomes

Translation of mRNA into proteins is a critical cellular biological process for all life. This requires ribosomes to act with an array of translation factors to decode mRNA sequences. Read more

Supervisors: Prof G D Pavitt, Dr A Roseman

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Leicester Department of Chemistry

Molecular Glues as Novel Tools for Tackling Big Challenges in Human Health

Background. The need for new medicines is greater than ever because of an ageing population and the complex clinical challenges brought about by drug resistance and/or side effects. Read more

Supervisors: Dr RD Doveston, Prof S Macip

23 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Structural and functional characterisation of MALT1 ubiquitination to aid in the development of novel anti-cancer therapies

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) is a family of transcription factors that play a crucial role in regulating various cellular processes; primarily related to immune responses, inflammation, and cell survival. Read more

Supervisor: Dr G Hall

International Max Planck School for Molecules of Life IMPRS-ML

PhD Student Positions at International Max Planck Research School for Molecules of Life, Munich

The International Max Planck Research School for Molecules of Life (IMPRS-ML), offers fully funded PhD student positions in the areas of biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, cell biology, systems biology and computational biology. Read more

Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) Germany PhD Programme Max Planck Research Programme

Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) Germany PhD Programme Max Planck Research Programme

PhD Student Positions at International Max Planck Research School for Molecules of Life, Munich

Max Planck Society

The International Max Planck Research School for Molecules of Life (IMPRS-ML), offers fully funded PhD student positions in the areas of biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, cell biology, systems biology and computational biology. Read more

Structural-guided PROTAC targeting of BMX to modulate apoptotic sensitivity in disease

Supervisors: Dr JF Fox, Dr JH Hodgkinson

What determines at the molecular level whether a cell lives or dies? Regulation of the cellular life–death switch is essential in healthy cells for normal foetal development and for the clearance of damaged cells. Read more

23 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Using cryo-electron microscopy to study large protein complexes that mediate the female post-mating response

Supervisors: Dr J.J.B. Cockburn, Prof R E Isaac

In many animals, male seminal fluid alters female physiology and post-mating behaviour to ensure paternity of the offspring. However, how seminal fluid components elicit these post-mating responses is poorly understood. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Untangling the role of beta-1,3 glucan polymers in intercellular communication

Supervisor: Dr Y Benitez-Alfonso

Apply to join the Benitez-Alfonso team in their quest to dissect the mechanisms underpinning the function of beta-1,3 glucan polymers in plant growth and development. . Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Uncovering the links between the environmental sensor, AHR, and the development of breast cancer

Supervisors: Dr C Gorrini, Dr A Zhuravleva

The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology invites applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2024/25. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Alpha-synuclein amyloid in Parkinson's disease: using Nanoinjection as a tool to study alpha-synuclein amyloid toxicity inside neurons

Supervisors: Dr E W Hewitt, Prof S E Radford, Dr P Actis

Intraneuronal inclusions known as Lewy bodies are a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. Amyloid fibrils formed by the misfolding of alpha-synuclein are the principal component of Lewy Bodies. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of St Andrews School of Chemistry

Advanced Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy – method development and applications

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a magnetic resonance technique that is exclusively and exquisitely sensitive to unpaired electrons that are found in radicals and paramagnetic metal complexes. Read more

Supervisor: Dr B E Bode

Year round applications PhD Research Project Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding

University of Leicester Department of Chemistry

Chemical energy conversion in biology studied using advanced spectroscopic and structural tools

Redox properties of metal-containing active sites are critically important to many biocatalytic processes. one third of all proteins contain a redox-active metal, and ca 22% of submissions to the Protein Data Bank contain a transition metal. Read more

Supervisors: Dr PA Ash, Dr H Kwon

23 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

University of Leicester Department of Chemistry

Last chance to apply

Chemical energy conversion in biology studied using advanced spectroscopic and structural tools

Graduate Teaching Assistantship. This is a Graduate Training Assistantship (GTA), which means that you will be required to do some teaching, particularly lab demonstrating, as part of your training. Read more

Supervisor: Dr P Ash

22 April 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Max Planck Society IMPRS for Computational Biology and Scientific Computing

Join our graduate school at the interface of biology and computation: IMPRS-BAC in Berlin

We are looking for outstanding graduates from all over the world – whether you have a degree in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, computer science or mathematics, as long as you have a passion for working at the interface between biology and computation, this may be the place for you. Read more

Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) Max Planck Research Programme

King’s College London Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics

Gene regulation in cancer metastasis

A PhD project studying gene regulation in cancer metastasis is available in the laboratory of Dr. Fiona Wardle (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/wardle-group) in the Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London. Read more

Supervisors: Dr F Wardle, Prof C Wells

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Revealing Reactivity in Cancer-Associated Heme Proteins: Novel Time-Resolved Structural Approaches

Supervisors: Dr HK Kwon, Dr P A Ash

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing enzyme involved in the degradation of tryptophan to kynurenine. Cancer cells upregulate IDO1 to escape normal immune responses and, in many cases, a high expression of IDO1 is connected to poor prognosis. Read more

23 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Structural and mechanistic studies of fibroblast growth factor receptor signalling

Supervisors: Prof A.L. Breeze, Prof F. Sobott

The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology invites applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2024/25. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Epigenetics of early human development: From molecular mechanisms to regenerative medicine

Supervisors: Dr Y Markaki, Prof J Schwabe, Dr JH Hodgkinson

The 46th chromosome in XX female mammals, the second X, has to be switched off. That way females equalize gene dosage of X-linked genes with XY males. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of York Department of Biology

Self funded PhD in Biology: Structure and function of CIZ1

Lead supervisor: Prof Dawn Coverley. Co-supervisors: Prof Fred Antson. The student will be registered with the Department of Biology. Read more

Supervisors: Prof D Coverley, Prof F Antson

30 June 2024 PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Structural and functional analysis of the protein complexes which regulate cell fate decisions to identify novel cancer therapies

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Whether a cell dies or not has profound consequences on health and disease. In healthy tissue, cells that acquire high levels of genetic damage are safely removed via a process of programmed cell death. Read more

Supervisor: Dr JF Fox

Epigenetics of early human development: From molecular mechanisms to regenerative medicine

Supervisors: Dr Y Markaki, Dr T Schalch

Ever wondered how nature maintains balance of gene expression between sex chromosomes? Well, the 46th chromosome of XX females, the second X, has to be switched off. Read more

23 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)