Dr S Schlimpert
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Bacteria frequently experience stress conditions that damage their DNA, and this can become a matter of “life and death”. To restore the integrity of the genetic information and ensure that each daughter cell receives an intact copy of the chromosome (DNA), bacteria trigger the so-called SOS-response which induces the production of several DNA repair enzymes. While the DNA is repaired, many other essential processes in the cell, like cell division, are put on hold. To inhibit cell division, bacteria produce additional enzymes that target components of the cell division machinery. The few cell division inhibitors studied so far are not present in all bacteria, suggesting that these bacteria use different strategies to coordinate DNA damage repair with cell division.
This project aims to identify the molecular determinants that control cell division during DNA damaging conditions to ensure genome integrity and successful propagation of the multicellular antibiotic producers Streptomyces. DNA stress conditions have been shown to affect antibiotic production in Streptomyces and thus, understanding the molecular basis of the DNA damage response in Streptomyces might also aid in the development of novel experimental strategies to improve antibiotic production in these important bacteria.
To understand the effect of DNA damage control on Streptomyces cell division, the student will use a combination of experimental approaches, including RNA-seq, protein biochemistry and molecular genetics to identify all enzymes that are activated in response to DNA damage and state-of-the-art live cell imaging techniques to assess their role in cell division.
Pre-application enquiries are welcomed. Please visit www.schlimpertlab.com for contact details and more information on the work in the lab.
For further information and to apply, please visit the ’How to Apply’ page on our website:
http://www.jic.ac.uk/training-careers/postgraduate-research/application-help-and-guidance/
Funding Notes
This project is awarded with 4 years of funding (3-year Royal Society PhD studentship/1-year John Innes Centre PhD studentship). Tuition fees are covered at UK/EU rate only (£4,260.00 2018/9 rate). Students liable for international tuition fees will need to fund the difference between the UK/EU fee level and the international fee level (£18,350.00 2018/9 rate). A stipend will be provided for each year of the studentship (2018/9 rate is £14,777.00). A research training support funding is available.
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