Head and neck cancer (HNC) has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of ~50%. Treatment of HNC usually involves a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. HNC has a high recurrence rate (20-30%), which may be partly due to development of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents.
The vault particle was identified 30 years ago and is the largest known ribonucleoprotein complex in eukaryotic cells, with a mass of ~13 MDa. Despite their massive size, vault particles are composed predominantly of a single polypeptide, the major vault protein (MVP), which accounts for >70% of the total particle mass. The remainder of the particle is formed by two other protein subunits, VPARP and TEP1, and a vault RNA (vtRNA). The definitive cellular function of the vault particle remains controversial, but it has been implicated multi-drug resistance. Interestingly, vtRNA have been shown to protect cells from undergoing apoptosis.
This project will use a variety of cell and molecular biology techniques to investigate the role of the vault particle in HNC chemotherapy resistance, which may lead to novel therapeutic targets in the future.
Please note, this project is also being advertised under China Scholarship Council scheme.
Entry requirements:
Candidates must have a first or upper second class honours degree or significant research experience.
How to apply:
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply/applying
Please clearly state the prospective main supervisor in the respective box and select Clinical Dentistry as the department.
Deadline:
Applications close at 5pm Wednesday 26th January 2022.
Enquiries:
Interested candidates should in the first instance contact Dr Stuart Hunt [Email Address Removed]
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