Symmetry and Asymmetry in Nucleotide Excision Repair of DNA at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com

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Prof N J Savery, Prof Mark Dillingham No more applications being accepted Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Bristol United Kingdom Bacteriology Biochemistry Biophysics Genetics Microbiology Molecular Biology Molecular Genetics Structural Biology

About the Project

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 3-year PhD studentship starting in Autumn 2023 as part of the EU-wide doctoral training network RepState.

PhD Project Description

RepState is a highly collaborative and innovative doctoral training network consisting of 14 participants from academia, industry and the creative sector. It will train a new generation of scientists in biochemistry and biophysics to address central questions in biology concerning the mode of action of critical DNA Repair proteins. If left unchecked, unrepaired damage pre-disposes us to cancer and developmental defects. Accordingly, inherited or somatic mutations in DNA repair proteins are strongly associated with human disease including cancer. Moreover, DNA repair pathways are drug targets because they help tumor cells to tolerate chemotherapeutics and enable bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.

Research in Bristol is led by Professors Nigel Savery and Mark Dillingham This is one of two RepState projects available at the University of Bristol and will focus on the role of the dimeric UvrA ATPase in global and transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (NER). We will use a wide range of complimentary biochemical, biophysical and structural approaches to understand how UvrA and other NER proteins cooperate or compete to orchestrate the repair of damaged DNA (for examples of previous work see the references).

Doctoral Training in RepState

Training incorporates a local program in Bristol, rotations within the European partner laboratories, and exposure to the non-academic sector through annual meetings. Fellows will follow scientific workshops, courses in transferable skills and career development, and will disseminate and communicate their projects to a diverse audience in collaboration with the creative sector. RepState fellows will form a new generation of innovative European scientists with a thorough understanding of fundamental quantitative principles underlying DNA repair biology, experience in technique development, career perspectives in multiple sectors and an understanding of the importance of the role of fundamental science for society and human health.

Professors Savery and Dillingham would be pleased to discuss this research project informally with interested candidates. For information on the RepState training network, see www.repstate.eu

Eligibility

Applicants should not have resided or performed their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 year period immediately prior to the start date of this position.

Applicants should not have been awarded a doctorate and should have less than 4 years (full-time equivalent) research experience. This 4 year period is measured from the date of obtaining your MSc degree (or equivalent).

How to Apply:

Formal applications should be made through the University of Bristol postgraduate admissions system. Shortlisting for interviews will take place after the deadlines below. Use the following link to apply: Start your application | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol

You should apply to the Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Biochemistry selecting the programme: Biochemistry (PhD (3yr). Please ensure you upload all supporting documents as per the admissions statement: PhD Biochemistry | Study at Bristol |University of Bristol. Clearly indicate the supervisor name and project title in the relevant section of the application form and "RepState studentship" in the funding section. The system will not allow you to submit your application without uploading a document to the research statement section. Where this is an optional requirement, please upload a blank Word document which is headed “No research statement required”.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled using the following deadlines: Friday 19th May and Friday 30th June 2023. For the purposes of confirming eligibility, all applications will be shared with the RepState management team.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to furthering issues of equality, diversity and inclusion and are keen to attract the most highly talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.

References

Urrutia-Irazabal et al. Analysis of the PcrA-RNA polymerase complex reveals a helicase interaction motif and a role for PcrA/UvrD helicase in the suppression of R-loops. Elife. 2021 doi: 10.7554/eLife.68829
Portman et al. Co-transcriptional R-loop formation by Mfd involves topological partitioning of DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019630118.
Sanders et al. The structure and function of an RNA polymerase interaction domain in the PcrA/UvrD helicase. Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 doi: 10.1093/nar/gkx074
Fan et al. Reconstruction of bacterial transcription-coupled repair at single-molecule resolution. Nature. 2016 doi: 10.1038/nature19080.
Haines et al. Stalled transcription complexes promote DNA repair at a distance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1322350111.

Where will I study?

University of Bristol

The University''s outstanding reputation makes our students highly attractive to employers. Bristol is ranked joint seventh in the UK for graduate employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).