Overview
Autophagy is a cellular waste disposal pathway mediated by the formation of double-membraned vesicles called autophagosomes, which ultimately fuse with lysosomes where their content is degraded. By clearing dysfunctional components, such as protein aggregates and damaged organelles, autophagy serves to maintain cellular homeostasis. Studies involving models from yeast to humans have established that autophagy is essential for cellular and organismal survival, whilst autophagy dysfunction is implicated in a wide range of human diseases such as age-related dementias and movement disorders. Therefore, autophagy is a promising target for the development of new drug treatments.
This project will investigate the mechanism of autophagy activation at the molecular and cellular level, through studying the mode of action of tool compounds that act as surrogate triggers for this physiological process, towards the key regulator protein p62/SQSTM1. This cross-cutting project will provide the PhD student with an excellent training in biochemistry, structural biology, and molecular cell biology, as well as interactions with experts in stem cell biology and medicinal chemistry. The student will benefit from the collaboration and complementarity of the academic and industrial laboratories partnered with the supervisors. The multidisciplinary nature of the project will ensure that the PhD candidate will obtain a combination of essential transferable research skills in biomedical science.
Number Of Awards
1
Start Date
19 September 2022
Award Duration
3.5 years.
Sponsor
EPSRC
Supervisors
Professor Wyatt Yue and Dr Viktor Korolchuk, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute
Eligibility Criteria
You must have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent, in a subject relating to biochemistry, molecular biology or biomedical sciences. Further qualification such as an MRes is advantageous.
This award is available to home and international applicants. Successful international candidates will be required to make up the difference between the home fees and international fees.
Successful EU applicants will be considered for the Vice-Chancellor’s EU Research Scholarship.
English Language requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall, with 5.5 or more in each sub-skill.
How To Apply
You must apply through the University’s online postgraduate application system. To do this please ‘Create a new account’.
Only mandatory fields need to be completed. However, you will need to include the following information:
• insert the programme code 8420F in the programme of study section
• select ‘PhD Biosciences (FT) as the programme of study
• insert the studentship code BI049 in the studentship/partnership reference field
• attach a covering letter and CV. The covering letter must state the title of the studentship, quote the studentship reference code BI049 and state how your interests and experience relate to the project
• attach degree transcripts and certificates and, if English is not your first language, a copy of your English language qualifications.
Contact Details
Professor Wyatt Yue – [Email Address Removed]
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