Analysis and design of biomolecular control systems

We are looking for an excellent doctoral student to join us on a project at the interface of mathematical modeling, systems biology & synthetic biology. The successful candidate will join the group of Dr Diego Oyarzún (www.imperial.ac.uk/people/d.oyarzun), who will relocate to the University of Edinburgh in January 2019. Our group develops model-based methods applied to biotechnology (goo.gl/f57DUm) and healthcare (goo.gl/wmqCuU, goo.gl/e4c3LZ). Large parts of our theoretical work are in collaboration with experimental partners in the UK, Europe and the USA.

The group will be co-located at the School of Biological Sciences and School of Informatics of the University of Edinburgh. This will give us privileged access to cutting-edge biological research at Edinburgh, as well as its world-leading expertise in machine learning and data science. Our students will benefit from this unique synergy and also enjoy the thriving ecosystem of SynthSys – the Edinburgh Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology.

The project will focus on the dynamics of metabolic pathways coupled with gene regulation using a mix of nonlinear dynamics and various approximation techniques [1]. We will apply the theoretical results to metabolic engineering for chemical production [2] and the design of synthetic microbial communities with mechanistic ‘whole-cell’ models [3].

Ideal candidates should have excellent academic record and passion for quantitative methods in the life sciences and medicine. We seek open-minded and creative students keen to join a multidisciplinary team. You should have excellent mathematical and computational skills, as well as outstanding presentation skills for various audiences. Applicants must hold a First Class or an Upper Second Class degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a discipline relevant to the project, such as Mathematics, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Physics, or Control Engineering.