Dr Y Yuzenkova, Prof LN Liu
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Back in time cyanobacteria evolved an oxygenic photosynthesis (conversion of CO2 into organic compounds and oxygen) and gave rise to chloroplasts of plant and algae. Unlike chloroplasts, modern cyanobacteria enclose CO2 and a CO2-fixing enzyme, RubisCO, in special organelle, carboxysome. Carboxysomes vastly enhance carbon fixation and make photosynthesis in cyanobacteria more efficient than in plants. If successfully transplanted into plants, carboxysomes would improve crop yields. Furthermore, the precise polyhedron shape of carboxysome can serve as a scaffold for organising engineered synthetic pathways in different organisms. For success of these and other promising synthetic biology applications, process of carboxysome formation needs to be better understood.
In this project we will investigate how formation of new carboxysomes is initiated by drop in CO2 level. We will follow stepwise process of carboxysome assembly including expression of underlying genes and synthesis of protein subunits. We will identify regulatory elements both at protein and DNA level. Finding out mechanisms governing carboxysomes assembly is important for both understanding carbon capture mechanism in general, and future use of carboxysomes in synthetic biology.
The project will be based in Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology of Newcastle University, which brings together world-leading scientists in the field of biology of bacterial cell and possesses the state of the art equipment. The successful candidate will acquire training in a wide range of biochemistry, molecular biology, Next Generation Sequencing-based techniques and advanced microscopy methods.
For further information see the website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/camb/
To apply:
Please complete the online application form and attach a full CV and covering letter - https://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=553440. Informal enquiries may be made to [Email Address Removed]
Funding Notes
This is a 4 year BBSRC studentship under the Newcastle-Liverpool-Durham DTP. The successful applicant will receive research costs, tuition fees and stipend (£14,553 for 2017-18). The PhD will start in October 2018. Applicants should have, or be expecting to receive, a 2.1 Hons degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. EU candidates must have been resident in the UK for 3 years in order to receive full support. There are 2 stages to the application process.
References
Julius C, Yuzenkova Y* (2017). Bacterial RNA polymerase caps RNA with various cofactors and cell wall precursors. Nucleic Acids Research 45(14): 8282-8290.
Faulkner M, Rodriguez-Ramos J, Dykes GF, Owen SV, Casella S, Simpson DM, Beynon RJ, Liu LN* (2017) Direct characterization of the native structure and mechanics of cyanobacterial carboxysomes. Nanoscale 9(30):10662-10673.
Sun Y, Casella S, Fang Y, Huang F, Faulkner M, Barrett S, Liu LN* (2016) Light modulates the biosynthesis and organization of cyanobacterial carbon fixation machinery through photosynthetic electron flow. Plant Physiol 171(1):530-41.