Prof G Painter
Applications accepted all year round
About the Project
The PhD student will join an established team led by Prof Gavin Painter from the Ferrier Research Institute, with expertise in the design and synthesis of self-adjuvanting peptide vaccines.
Access to vaccines and other bioconjugates relies on effective bioorthogonal conjugation methods. To achieve fast reactions, many bioconjugation reagents make compromises in areas of stability, selectivity or synthetic accessibility. Furthermore, the target conjugates often carry a large ‘hydrophobic footprint’ derived from the reagent, which is unsuitable for many applications.
This synthetic chemistry project aims to address some of these problems by investigating a new concept in bioconjugation with the potential to spawn several new bioconjugation methods. The work will involve the synthesis of complementary substrate pairs designed to react via both polar and concerted mechanisms. Once candidates with ideal properties have been identified, their utility will be demonstrated in the synthesis of new conjugate vaccines. These may find use in a range of applications including personalised vaccines for cancer and/or targeted immunotherapeutic agents. New products will be tested in biological assays through established partnerships at world leading immunological institutes.
Location:
The work will be based at the Ferrier Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), Wellington, New Zealand (www.victoria.ac.nz/ferrier), supervised by Prof Gavin Painter http://www.victoria.ac.nz/ferrier/about/staff/gavin-painter
To apply:
Please contact Prof Painter (via [Email Address Removed]) to explain to interest in the project and how this relates to your previous experience. Please include a copy of your CV, academic transcript and the names of three referees.
Funding Notes
Eligibility:
The successful student will have a MSc or BSc Hons degree in chemistry with a focus on organic chemistry and organic synthesis.
The applications also need to meet the English requirement to enter the PhD program in the School of Chemistry and Physical Sciences.
Scholarship:
The Scholarship will provide a stipend to cover living expenses of NZ$27,000 pa, plus tuition fees (including insurance and levies for international candidates) for 3 years.
International candidates receive the same package as NZ residents provided they reside in New Zealand for the duration of the project and study under a NZ student visa.