Cell Biology PhD Research Projects PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Dundee

Supervisor: Prof C J Weijer

Gastrulation is an essential process in early development, during which the forming ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm take up their correct positions in the embryo. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Using genome editing to study the mechanisms of immune cell proliferation and differentiation

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

T lymphocytes mediate long-term adaptive immunity to viruses and tumour cells. T lymphocytes recognize foreign antigens via specific interactions with the T cell receptor (TCR) that is expressed on the cell surface. Read more

Supervisor: Dr T Ly

MSc by Research: Regulation and mechanics in polarized trafficking

Supervisor: Dr D H Murray

Membranes and their protein organization are a frontier in our understanding of cell biology. We focus on polarized trafficking as a model to uncover fundamental mechanisms in the organization of structures at membranes. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Deciphering the ubiquitin codes that regulate protein degradation

Supervisor: Prof Y Kulathu

Ubiquitin signalling, which involves the posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins with ubiquitin, regulates almost every aspect of eukaryotic biology. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Genetic interactions and novel genes that regulate lignin biosynthesis and straw quality in barley

Supervisor: Prof C Halpin

Lignin is a major component of plant cell walls, and has a significant influence on the digestibility and uses of plant biomass. The lignin biosynthesis pathway has been one of the most intensively studied. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Targeted protein post-translational modification to rewire cell signalling

Supervisors: Prof G Sapkota, Dr S Virdee

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, such as ubiquitylation and phosphorylation, are fundamental determinants of protein function and cellular signalling. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Feel the tension – how does S-acylation of OSCA ion channels regulate responses to environmental change in plants?

Supervisors: Dr P Hemsley, Prof U Zachariae, Prof M Knight

Plants, being sessile organisms, must sense and respond to environmental change, such as temperature or drought, without being able to move. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Glueing proteins together with small molecules

Supervisor: Prof A Ciulli

Recent advances from the Ciulli Lab and others have contributed to the establishment of a game-changing new modality of chemical intervention into biological system – one that moves beyond the state-of-the-art. Read more

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

Mechanism, cellular consequences and pharmacological manipulation of Ras palmitoylation for the treatment of cancer

Supervisors: Dr N Fraser, Dr G Masson

In humans, the genes HRAS, NRAS and KRAS encode three closely related proteins frequently mutated in cancer promoting unregulated cell growth. Read more

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

Regulation and mechanics in polarity

Supervisor: Dr D H Murray

Membranes and their protein organization are a frontier in our understanding of cell biology. We focus on polarized trafficking as a model to uncover fundamental mechanisms in the organization of structures at membranes. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Unravelling the molecular mechanism underpinning Ubiquitin-like fusion protein proteolysis

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

The biological complexity observed in living organisms greatly exceeds the number of different forms of proteins (the proteome) that the encoding genomes would predict. Read more

Supervisor: Dr C Maniaci

Using chemical-genetics to inhibit and characterise “undruggable” enzymes

Supervisors: Dr A Saurin, Dr T Ly

The ability to inhibit kinases with small molecule drugs has transformed our understanding of signalling networks. It has allowed us to define the substrates and processes that each kinase controls, and to map how these enzymes cooperate within signalling pathways. Read more

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

Investigating Lysosomal Dysfunction in Ageing and Neurodegeneration

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

Lysosomes are key cellular organelles that degrade and recycle macromolecules, act as signalling hubs and are implicated in many diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) where old age is a major risk factor. Read more

Supervisor: Dr E Sammler

MSc by Research: Understanding the beginning of life: the role of non- canonical ubiquitylation in early embryonic development

Supervisor: Dr V De Cesare

Ubiquitin is a small, yet influential, protein that is attached to other substrates to control their stability or activity in a process called ubiquitylation. Read more

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

Developing novel targeted therapeutic approaches through induced-proximity of proteins

Supervisors: Prof G Sapkota, Prof A Ciulli

Protein post-translational code is at the heart of protein function and signal transduction in cells. Enzymes catalyse the addition or removal of post-translational modifications (PTM), such as phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, and ubiquitylation, on proteins. Read more

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

Investigating mechanisms of extra-cellular matrix remodelling and fibrosis in the gastrointestinal tract

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

Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease, are increasing in prevalence globally. These are caused by chronic inflammation in the gut, there is no cure and medications are not effective for all. Read more

Supervisor: Dr M Mclean

Investigating how dormant senescent cells can drive drug-resistance following chemotherapy

Supervisors: Dr A Saurin, Dr T Ly

Most anti-cancer chemotherapeutics work by inducing DNA damage and arresting the cell cycle in either G1 or G2 phase. A frequent outcome of this arrest is that cells exit the cell cycle into a state known as senescence. Read more

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

Characterisation of novel therapeutic approaches against invasive breast cancer

Supervisor: Dr L de la Vega

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of death from cancer in women worldwide. Read more

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

Investigating the role of RNA dependent DNA repair in childhood cancer

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

Damage to our genetic material DNA is responsible for a wide range of human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, haematological diseases, immune deficiencies, early ageing and cancers. Read more

Supervisor: Prof K Hiom

Targeting the extracellular matrix remodelling for the treatment of obesity-associated cardio-renal dysfunction

Supervisors: Dr L Kang, Dr C Murdoch

Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic metabolic diseases including heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Our lab demonstrated a tight association between increased deposition of extracellular matrix components (e.g. Read more

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

Expanding the ligandable E3 ubiquitin ligases for targeted protein degradation

Supervisors: Prof G Sapkota, Dr S Virdee

Out of more than 600 E3 ubiquitin ligases in cells, currently only a handful have small molecule binders that can be used for PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and harnessed for targeted protein degradation. Read more

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

University of Dundee Dental School

Is there a Role for Activated Akt in Palatogenesis?

Main Aim. The project will use a medial edge epithelial (MEE) cell line as an in vitro model. These cells will be used to investigate the effects of exogenous TGFβ-3 and activation of Akt on cell migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and apoptosis. Read more

Supervisors: Dr S. J. Jones, Dr M Islam

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

University of Dundee School of Science and Engineering

Development of micro-incubator OCT/ OCE bioreactor system to engineer a robust musculoskeletal tissue model

Achieving adequate musculoskeletal tissue healing is one of the most challenging factors in the repair of orthopaedic tissues. The problem of hard-to-soft tissue fixation is the major cause of failure of replacement grafts and leads to further musculoskeletal degeneration e.g. Read more

Supervisors: Dr J Vorstius, Dr C Li

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

Interdisciplinary investigation of a large effect of sulfasalazine on HbA1c

Supervisors: Prof G Rena, Prof E Pearson

The anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine, which is used in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, was reported earlier to suppress HbA1c in a small cohort of patients [1]. Read more

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

Interdisciplinary investigation of the role of amino acids in immunometabolic responses to metformin in human cells

Supervisors: Prof G Rena, Prof C Lang

There is overwhelming evidence that inflammation contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but counterbalancing this is evidence from meta-analysis of randomised control trials that many existing anti-inflammatory drugs, such as COX2 inhibitors and anti-TNF drugs, tend if anything to exacerbate risk of CVD. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Signaling pathways controlling epidermal development in cereals

Plants living on land face brutal threats from pests, dehydration and temperature. To survive and thrive, land plants evolved a waxy ‘cuticle’ and distinctive epidermal cells such as gas pores and defensive barbs. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Jasmonate control of barley development

From the earliest farmers to modern plant breeders, humans have continually modified the body plan of cereals, sometimes drastically, to generate higher grain yields. Read more

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

MSc by Research: The Generation Gap – understanding tissue communication during grain development

Cereal grain provides more calories than any other source to our diet, making grain production vital to food security. We study grain development in barley, a globally important cereal, and a powerful genetic model system. Read more

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

MSc by Research: Regulation of Architecture in Barley

Plant architecture, or body plan, plays a key role in determining grain yield of crop plants. However, we have little understanding of the molecular genetic basis of architecture in the temperate cereals such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), especially in comparison to the warm weather crops such as rice (Oryza sativa). Read more

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

MSc by Research: Investigation of the interplay between the cell cycle and Notch intracellular domain levels in presomitic mesoderm cells in somitogenesis

Supervisor: Prof J K Dale

One of the key processes in embryo development is somitogenesis. This is the formation of segments, known as somites, that go on to develop into bone and skeletal muscle. Read more

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