PhD Studentship: Developing Mass Spectrometry Toolkit to Solve Complex Biological Problems

Main description:

Native mass spectrometry is an expanding structural biology tool to elucidate the function of protein complexes. Excitingly, the demand for this technology is increasing. However, few people are trained in its operation. This PhD project will involve training on, and the further development of native mass spectrometry technology. The student will operate within the Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility at Birmingham; a large, multidisciplinary research team that works together operating the latest state-of-the-art mass spectrometers.

The PhD will start with extensive training in the state-of-the-art technology (including hydrogen-deuterium exchange, cross-linking, top-down and native mass spectrometry). After this, the technology advancement will be applied to solve a variety of complex biological problems. These may include:

(1) Understanding how to 'glue' protein complexes together whose interactions are broken in diseases such as breast cancer.

(2) Revealing how the most efficient light harvesting complexes operate to enhance photosynthesis in plants.

(3) Charaterisation of metallopeptide complexes for the design of more effective MRI contrast reagents.

(4) Understanding of how structurally unique proteins function.

In addition to mass spectrometry, the Leney group utilises SDS PAGE, chromatography, UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, bioinformatics and in collaboration with Andrew Lovering X-ray crystallography. Thus, overall once completed, we envisage the PhD student will have an excellent all-around knowledge in structural biology and have the ability to apply native mass spectrometry to solve biological problems in any context. This will ensure they have expansive opportunities for future employment in the mass spectrometry field and beyond.

Funding notes:

This is a PhD studentship with the Midlands Integrated Biosciences Training Partnership, funded by BBSRC and in partnership with the University of Warwick, Aston University, Harper Adams University, Coventry University, and the University of Leicester.

For more details please visit: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mibtp/ or https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/about/college-of-life-and-environmental-sciences/midlands-integrative-biosciences-training-partnership

References:

For more information and recent publications from the group, please refer to: https://www.leney-mass-spectrometry.com/

How to apply:

To apply, please click the above 'Apply' button, make an account, and submit an application via the university online admissions portal. This link is unique to the MIBTP programme; please do not use any other link to apply to this project or your application may be rejected.

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