PhD Studentship - Plasmodium malaria organelle transcription: mechanisms and target for drugs

Number of awards:

1

Start date and duration:

September 2018 for 3 years.

Application closing date:

Applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is found.

Overview:

Malaria still remains the global health threat. The disease is caused by species of Plasmodium parasite. No vaccine is currently in sight, and drug- resistant Plasmodium mutants are on the rise. Yet there is a chink in Plasmodium’s armour – its essential non-green chloroplast called apicoplast. Like chloroplasts, apicoplast is autonomous to a degree – it has its own genome transcribed by its own enzyme, RNApol of bacterial type.

A strategy to target RNApol of apicoplast has great potential to treat malaria. Yet currently apicoplast RNApol is totally unexplored at molecular level. We are aiming to assemble functional RNApol from synthetic protein subunits and test a panel of inhibitors in search for potential anti-malaria drugs. The amounts of proteins will potentially allow us to get structural information on apicoplast RNApol. The outcome of this project will be experimental system useful for future drug screens, auxiliary factors search and identification of most vulnerable stages in Plasmodium lifecycle.

Prospective student will get training in wide range of molecular biology and crystallography techniques.

The project will be based in the new and well-equipped Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology (

Sponsor:

Barbour Foundation

Name of supervisor(s):

Dr Yulia Yuzenkova (https://bitly.im/BWe9j) and Dr Paula Salgado (https://bitly.im/LM0xd), Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences (https://bitly.im/LzbWk).

Eligibility Criteria:

You must have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree in biochemistry, biomedicine, molecular biology, microbiology or a related area. A further qualification such as an MSc or MRes is advantageous.

This award is available to UK and EU applicants only. To study this course you need to meet the following English language requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in all other sub-skills).

How to apply:

You must apply through the University’s online postgraduate application system (https://bitly.im/rCUtp). 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 8300F in the programme of study section
select ‘PhD in the Faculty of Medical Sciences (full time) – Cell and Molecular Biosciences’ as the programme of study
insert the studentship code CB143 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 CB143 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
in addition, please email the covering letter and CV directly to Yulia Yuzenkova ([Email Address Removed])

Contact:

Yulia Yuzenkova (https://bitly.im/BWe9j)
Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology (https://bitly.im/6kzLi)
Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences (https://bitly.im/LzbWk)
E-mail: [Email Address Removed]
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3227