About the Project
The chemical synthesis of native or engineered proteins enables us to prepare pure, homogeneously modified samples for therapeutic application or further study. Utilizing a range of peptide ligation techniques, we are currently investigating numerous native and modified proteins integral to a range of biological processes. A fully-funded PhD studentship (UK/EU) is available to work on the synthesis of stroke and cancer therapeutics derived from proteins found in snake venom.
The project will contain elements of synthetic chemistry (the synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acids), peptide chemistry, peptide ligation and protein chemistry (modification, folding and characterisation). The group has strong collaborative links with researchers based in the Schools of Pharmacy, Life Science and Medicine here at Nottingham. Opportunities therefore exist to evaluate the biological activity of the target proteins and gain valuable cross-disciplinary training in the relevant in vitro assays as well as expertise in single-molecule and imaging techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and confocal microscopy.
http://www.themitchellgroup.co.uk
Funding Notes
Applicants must have, or expect to obtain, a 2:1 or above (or the equivalent if non-UK), ideally on a 4-year undergraduate program (MChem/MSci/MRes) in chemistry, chemical biology or biochemistry. The studentship will commence in October 2017. UK and EU applicants only.
References
Mitchell, N. J., Malins, L. R., Liu, X., Thompson, R. E., Chan, B., Radom, L. and Payne, R. J.; Rapid Additive-Free Selenocystine-Selenoester Peptide Ligation; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015; 137; 14011-14014
Malins, L. R., Mitchell, N. J., McGowan, S. and Payne, R. J.; Oxidative Deselenization of Selenocysteine-Applications for Programmed Ligation at Serine; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015; 54; 12716-12721
Mitchell, N. J., Kulkarni, S. S., Malins, L. R., Wang, S. and Payne, R. J.; One-Pot Ligation-Oxidative Deselenization at Selenocystine and Selenocysteine; Chem. Eur. J. 2017; 23; 946-952
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