Fully funded PhD studentship in Computational Chemistry

A fully funded, three year PhD Studentship is available in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde under the supervision of Dr David Palmer (Strathclyde).

Applicants must have, or expect to obtain, a good undergraduate degree in Chemistry or a related subject. Previous experience in computational chemistry would be an advantage, but is not essential.

The successful applicant will join the Palmer group as part of the newly formed Strathclyde Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Hub (SCOTCH) at the University of Strathclyde. The group is based in modern and well-equipped research labs in the centre of Glasgow. Our research interests lie in developing theory, simulation and informatics methods to study complex biomolecular systems. Current external funders include several pharmaceutical (GSK, AstraZeneca), computing (IBM) and biomedical (Endofotonics) companies. We have also recently founded a biomedical diagnostics company (www.clinspecdx.com). Please see www.palmer-lab.com and our recent publications for further information information about the research carried out in the group.

The main goal of this PhD studentship is the development of novel biomolecular simulation methods for enzyme redesign. We will initially focus on bovine and camel chymosins, which are mammalian aspartic proteases that are important in the food industry. The successful applicant will use both quantum mechanics and forcefield-based approaches to understand the catalytic function of the enzyme and to suggest mutations to optimize its efficacy. The project builds upon our prior research in this area as documented on the group website.

The studentship is available to start immediately and must be filled by March 2020.

Please submit your application by e-mail to Dr David Palmer ([Email Address Removed]) including:

• Cover letter, detailing your experience and motivation for PhD studies
• CV with two referees details included
• Other pertinent information (e.g., publications, awards, and other distinctions)