Genome Editing: Engineering CRISPR-Cas Enzymes to Improve Genetic Replacement in Human and Bacterial Cells

This PhD research project is aimed at individuals who are keen to learn about the biology and biotechnology of CRISPR systems, and who are interested to investigate protein engineering of Cas1, Cas3 and Cas9 enzymes. We are making fusions of these enzymes with unrelated proteins to obtain novel functions for testing in CRISPR immunity assays in bacterial cells, and for protein purification and functional assays. Further specifics of the project and the research training available can be obtained by contacting the P.I. directly (Dr Edward Bolt; [Email Address Removed]).

The University of Nottingham is one of the world’s most respected research-intensive universities, ranked 8th in the UK for research power (REF 2014). Students studying in the School of Life Sciences will have the opportunity to thrive in a vibrant, multidisciplinary environment, with expert supervision from leaders in their field, state-of-the-art facilities and strong links with industry. Students are closely monitored in terms of their personal and professional progression throughout their study period and are assigned academic mentors in addition to their supervisory team. The School provides structured training as a fundamental part of postgraduate personal development and our training programme enables students to develop skills across the four domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF). During their studies, students will also have the opportunity to attend and present at conferences around the world. The School puts strong emphasis on the promotion of postgraduate research with a 2-day annual PhD research symposium attended by all students, plus academic staff and invited speakers.