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We have 954 Biochemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for Self-funded Students

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Biochemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for Self-funded Students

We have 954 Biochemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for Self-funded Students

A PhD in Biochemistry would provide you with the time and resources to undertake an in-depth research project into one area of biochemistry. These projects are almost always laboratory-based and can range from investigating the structure and role of a protein or receptor to developing and optimising current detection methods.

What’s it like to do a PhD in Biochemistry?

Doing a PhD in Biochemistry, you’ll develop wide-spread laboratory skills including protein purification, western blotting, chromatography, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The use of cutting-edge equipment such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is common in Biochemistry and consequently you’ll become proficient with these fine instruments.

Some typical research topics in Biochemistry include:

  • Engineering enzymes for industry
  • Characterising the structure and function of proteins
  • Developing novel therapeutics
  • Understanding the role of redox in a system or disease
  • Investigation of a specific receptor
  • Developing and optimising methods (such as NMR)

Day-to-day you’ll be in the laboratory performing experiments, writing up and analysing data from previous experiments and discussing your results and research plans with colleagues.

Biochemistry programmes are almost always advertised research projects, with the key aim pre-determined by the supervisor. Although the aim is set, you are still free to influence the direction of the project along the way. These advertised programmes usually come with full funding attached.

It is uncommon to propose your own research in Biochemistry as you must find a supervisor with research goals that overlap with your project, who also has adequate equipment for your experimental work, and you must find sufficient funding for bench and PhD fees.

Regardless of being funded or not, your PhD will end with a thesis of around 60,000 words, which contributes significantly to the knowledge of the field. To be awarded your PhD, you’ll then need to defend your thesis during your viva exam.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for most Biochemistry PhD programmes involve a Masters in a subject directly related to Biochemistry such as Biology or Chemistry, with at least a Merit or Distinction. If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need to show that you have the right level of language proficiency.

PhD in Biochemistry funding options

The Research Council responsible for funding Biochemistry PhDs in the UK is the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). They provide fully-funded studentships including a stipend for living costs, a consumables budget for bench fees and a tuition fee waiver. Students don’t apply directly to the BBSRC, you apply for advertised projects with this funding attached.

It’s uncommon for Biochemistry PhD students to be ‘self-funded’ due to the additional bench fees. However, if you were planning to fund yourself it might be achievable (depending on your project) through the UK government’s PhD loan and part-time work.

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An immune-instructive synthetic mucus for inflammatory bowel disease immunotherapy

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition underpinned by aberrant immune responses to gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal surfaces leading to ulceration, pain, diarrhoea, growth retardation, and predisposition to colon cancer. Read more

Impact of AAV capsid redesigns on titres, processing and stability

AAV-based gene therapies are often mutated and selected for improved clinical efficacy and safety. This has delivered clinical breakthroughs for some diseases, and yet poor manufacturing efficiency and stability brings unsustainably high costs (eg. Read more

Analysis of the roles of protein arginine methylation in motor neuron disease using quantitative proteomics

This project is on offer as part of the studentship scheme of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research. The Euan MacDonald Centre is a multi-disciplinary network of MND researchers across Scotland. Read more

Fully-funded 4-year PhD studentship in the field of targeted protein degradation and ubiquitin biology

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 4-year PhD studentship in the field of targeted protein degradation and ubiquitin biology, based in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Professors Heike Laman and Kathryn Lilley, and Dr Monica Rodrigo at AstraZeneca starting October 2024. Read more

Development of Reactive Chemistries for Chemical Biology

A key problem in life-sciences research is to understand biomacromolecular function in molecular and temporal resolution – this would provide unprecedented understanding of the molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Read more

Developing Enabling Synthetic Methods for Accelerated Peptidomimetic Drug Discovery

Transient protein-protein interactions (PPIs) control all cellular processes relevant to health and disease. Thus, a major problem in life-sciences research is to understand and manipulate PPIs with molecular and temporal resolution. Read more

Precision Medicine DTP - Quantitative analysis of intrinsic antibiotic resistance in the major nosocomial pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae

Background. Antibiotic resistance poses a global and severe threat to human, animal and planetary health. Typically, resistance arises through genetic mutations or via the acquisition of genes that allow bacteria to resist antibiotics. Read more

Precision Medicine DTP - AI-driven drug discovery for diseases of unmet need with high-throughput phenomics data

Abstract. Drug discovery is extremely expensive and most candidate compounds fail at various stages of clinical trials. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently emerged as a promising tool to accelerate the search for new active compounds. Read more

Targeting inflammation for early treatment of chronic kidney disease-associated cardiomyopathy

Other supervisors. Prof Andre Ng (University of Leicester), Prof Claudio Mauro and Dr Katja Gehmlich (University of Birmingham). Informal enquiries should be directed to the project supervisor Dr Christopher O'Shea - c.oshea@bham.ac.uk. Read more

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