PhD Studentship: Small RNA, Big Impact: The role of SNORD116 in the metabolic development of adipocytes

Investigating the Molecular Basis of Adipocyte Metabolic Development

Understanding how fat cells (adipocytes) develop is fundamental to population-level metabolic health. This project offers the opportunity to investigate an emerging and relatively underexplored area of RNA biology: the role of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in regulating adipocyte metabolic development.

Once considered functionally peripheral, snoRNAs are increasingly recognised as important regulators of RNA processing and gene expression. However, their specific contribution to metabolic development remains poorly understood. This project will address that gap, providing genuine scope to generate novel insights in the field.

Using state-of-the-art gene-edited pluripotent stem cells, the successful candidate will examine how snoRNAs influence the mechanisms underlying adipocyte metabolism. The project offers comprehensive training in a range of advanced techniques, including:

• Stem cell biology and directed differentiation
• Advanced flow cytometry and single-cell sorting
• Metabolomics
• Long-read RNA sequencing

In addition to this specialist training, students will benefit from high-quality instruction in broader scientific and transferable skills, alongside access to a wide range of seminars and professional development opportunities.

The project will be based in the Smith Lab at the Bob Champion Research and Education Building, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, within a collaborative and supportive environment.

This project is well suited to students seeking to develop expertise in cutting-edge molecular and cellular techniques while contributing to a growing area of metabolic research with significant relevance to human health.

Additional Funding Information

This project is awarded with a 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD DTP studentship. The studentship includes payment of tuition fees (directly to the University), a stipend to cover living expenses (2026/27 stipend rate: £21,805, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 pa for each year of the studentship.

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