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We have 645 Molecular Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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Molecular Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 645 Molecular Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Studying a PhD in Molecular Biology would provide you with the chance to guide your own research project. With a strong link to Cell Biology, Molecular Biology projects revolve around understanding the composition, structure, and interaction of molecules within the cell that control its function. These are generally laboratory-based projects.

What’s it like to do a PhD in Molecular Biology?

As a PhD student in Molecular Biology, you’ll develop extensive laboratory skills including DNA sequencing, expression cloning, gene knockout, and DNA or protein arrays. Your understanding of the range of techniques available to you will continually improve as you’ll read the latest publications in the field.

Some typical research topics in Molecular Biology include:

  • Understanding the role of a certain protein within a cell
  • Investigating DNA repair mechanisms and potential faults
  • Studying the difference in post-translational modifications in response to stimuli
  • Development of novel therapeutics
  • Investigating how proteins act differently in a disease
  • Studying DNA replication

A majority of Molecular Biology projects are proposed in advance by the supervisor and are advertised on the university website. Some of these projects are fully-funded by the university or a doctoral training programme, while others require you to self-fund.

Suggesting a project for yourself is uncommon in Molecular Biology, due to the challenge of finding funding to cover PhD and bench fees, as well as having to find a supervisor with suitable equipment and research interests to support your project.

Day-to-day, you’ll be in the laboratory preparing or conducting experiments, analysing previous data, creating figures, and writing up the results, alongside quick chats with your colleagues and supervisors about your work.

In the final year of your PhD, you’ll complete an original thesis of approximately 60,000 words in length and give an oral defence of this during a viva exam.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for most Molecular Biology PhD programmes involve a Masters in a subject directly related to Biology, 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 Molecular Biology funding options

The research council responsible for funding Molecular Biology 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 Molecular Biology 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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PhD studentship - Human iPSC-derived Sensory Neurons to Interrogate the Molecular Interplay between mTORC1 and Histamine Receptors in the Progression of Neuropathic Pain

Overview. Are you interested in exploring novel strategies to alleviate pain responses in patients with chronic pain? This PhD studentship will use stem cell-derived sensory neurons to understand the relationship between mTORC1 and histamine in chronic pain. Read more

Evolutionary innovation through transcription factor promiscuity

The University of Bath is inviting applications from Home students for the following PhD project which will be conducted within the Department of Life Sciences under the direct supervision of Prof Tiffany Taylor with co-supervision from Prof Laurence Hurst. Read more

Understanding how inflammation affects brain disease

We know that both peripheral and central inflammation influence neurological disease. This influence progresses and worsens diverse brain diseases, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Read more

White Rose BBSRC DTP: Shining a Light on Enzymes: Photochemistry of Iminases

The industrial production of pharmaceutical compounds requires that they are synthesised in a very specific way, and that the methods used, where possible, involve non-toxic materials and the least hazardous conditions. Read more

White Rose BBSRC DTP: How seeds detect the season

Seeds have an innate ability to perceive the passage of time from the moment they encounter water. Our lab recently discovered that seeds even possess a capability to detect changes in day length, which may help them sense seasonal progression. Read more

Molecular characterisation of scavenger receptor ligand binding.

Scavenger receptors have been identified as being important in Human disease and normal physiological responses. Scavenger receptors are a large family of cell surface receptors that are expressed ubiquitously. Read more

The regulation of scavenger receptors in cancer

The expression of some scavenger receptors has been identified as being poor for cancer prognosis. Scavenger receptors are a large family of cell surface receptors that are expressed ubiquitously in the Human body. Read more

White Rose BBSRC DTP: Mechanistic perception of evening coolness in Arabidopsis

Climate change is leading to warmer evening temperatures relative to daytime temperatures. It is critical for us to understand how plants will respond to these changing temperature conditions to control their growth and development, as this knowledge will help us create more resilient agricultural systems. Read more

White Rose BBSRC DTP: Structure and function of CIZ1-histone complexes

The choice of which genes are expressed and which are shut down underpins cell identity and differentiation, and the stable inheritance of such choices through cell division is relevant to aging, neurodegeneration and cancer. Read more

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