Department of Chemistry

A PhD studentship is available from October 2012 in the group led by Professor Jane Clarke, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow in Basic Biomedical Science, to study the folding and misfolding of multidomain proteins using both ensemble and single-molecule techniques.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) at least the equivalent of a UK II.1 honours degree (and preferably a Masters) in chemistry, physics or biochemistry. The studentship will cover tuition fees and an annual maintenance grant for EU nationals who satisfy the eligibility requirements of the UK Research Councils. Owing to funding restrictions, the studentship is not available to non-EU nationals.

Applications should include a CV and contact details for two professional referees, and should be sent to Ms Alice Wood, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW (email: aw534@cam.ac.uk).

A PhD studentship is available in the molecular simulation group based in the Unilever Centre for Molecular Science Informatics. The project will focus on the development and application of simulation techniques to gain insight into biomolecular systems, especially the molecular mechanisms of assembly and recognition that govern processes including ligand binding, receptor signalling, and enzyme regulation, within cellular compartments and biomembranes. Expertise will be gained in a variety of state-of-the-art computational approaches, including large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, multi-scale modelling, and free-energy calculations. The Unilever Centre offers a stimulating, interdisciplinary environment, and has strong connections with experimental collaborators in academia and industry. The project will provide novel information on the mechanisms of biomolecules, with relevance to disease and therapeutic strategies.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) at least the equivalent of a UK II.1 honours degree (and preferably a Masters) in chemistry, physics or biological science. Some experience of molecular simulation methods, and familiarity with Unix/Linux or basic programming languages are desirable but not essential.

The studentship will cover tuition fees and an annual maintenance grant for EU nationals who satisfy the eligibility requirements of the UK Research Councils. Owing to funding restrictions, the studentship is not available to non-EU nationals.

The studentship is available from October 2012. Applications should include a CV, contact details for two professional referees, and should be sent to Dr Peter Bond, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW (email: pjb91@cam.ac.uk).

Chemistry is a large department, including 70 Senior Academics and 400 Post Doctorate and Research staff and this pivotal role will provide a first class glass manipulating service to the entire department. The role holder is responsible for the provision of specialist, highly sophisticated apparatus for academia, as well as the general management of the glass workshop.

Duties include: the production of quartz, borosilicate, soft class, metal glass seals and refined apparatus unobtainable commercially; the design and construction of ultra high vacuum systems; delivering ultra high tolerance techniques in glass milling; the general administration, accounting, purchasing and the safety of the Glass Workshop.

The successful candidate will have had significant training and be of exceptional ability in the art of scientific glassblowing. They will have strong interpersonal skills and be able to work well under pressure, prioritising and communicating effectively. Applicants should be educated to at least GCSE level standard or equivalent, with GCSE in English and Mathematics. Previous experience of working in a Higher Education environment and/or financial responsibility would be beneficial. The interview process will involve an element of glass blowing.

Application forms can be downloaded from the University website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/forms/chris5/ and are also available along with further information from Emma Graham, tel: 01223 763188 or email ejg49@cam.ac.uk.

Please complete Parts I and III only of the application form and return together with a letter of application to Emma Graham by email: ejg49@cam.ac.uk or post: Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW.

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate to join the group of Dr Jonathan Nitschke to investigate the stereochemistry of complex, three-dimensional metal-organic structures. This follows on from work described in http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201107532.

Applicants must have (or be about to obtain) a PhD in materials chemistry, materials engineering, or a related area. The successful candidate will have experience with synthesis, coordination chemistry, stereochemistry and the techniques required to characterise complex chiral molecules, together with a strong track record of scientific accomplishment as reflected in a significant publications record.

The post is available from March 2012. Applications should include a CV, publications list, contact details for three professional referees, and a completed form CHRIS/6 Parts I and III (downloadable from http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/forms/chris6/), and should be sent to Dr Jonathan Nitschke, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW (email: jrn34@cam.ac.uk).

We invite applications for 4 PhD studentships in the area of chemical biology and molecular medicine as part of our dedicated 4-year PhD programme based in the Department of Chemistry.

The aim of this programme (formerly the Cancer Research UK PhD Training Programme in Medicinal Chemistry) is to train the next generation of synthesis chemists to PhD level who will be experienced in working at the interface between synthetic chemistry and biology at various stages of pre-clinical drug discovery. Our interdisciplinary programme brings together world-class research groups with facilities in synthesis chemistry, pharmacology, biochemistry and biology. During the first year students embark on their practical chemistry training and are brought up to speed in disease-focussed research by a combination laboratory rotations in chemistry and biology (academic and industrial), workshops and hot topics. The transition to second year is marked by students developing their own PhD proposals in conjunction with chemistry and biology supervisors involved with the programme.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) at least the equivalent of a UK II.1 honours degree (and preferably a Masters) in chemistry, or a course with significant chemistry content. A strong background in organic chemistry and an enthusiasm to work at the chemistry-biology interface is desirable. There are no restrictions regarding eligibility. The studentship will provide a maintenance grant and tuition fees at the Home/EU rate. Non-EU nationals should refer to the funding section on our website (www-medchem.ch.cam.ac.uk) and that of the Board of Graduate Studies.

The studentships are available from October 2012. Preliminary applications (for UK/EU students) should include a completed programme application form which is available to download from our website (www-medchem.ch.cam.ac.uk), a personal statement, two confidential references and a transcript of undergraduate results to date. Short-listed candidates will be invited for interview in February 2012 with decisions following immediately afterwards. It is not necessary for UK/EU applicants apply for University admission through the Board of Graduate Studies at this stage. Applications should be posted or emailed to: Dr Rebecca Myers, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW (email: rmm32@cam.ac.uk).

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral position to work in the research group led by Professor Dominic Wright. The project involves synthetic applications of main group organometallics in catalytic and stoichiometric bond-forming reactions. Applicants should have (or be about to obtain) a PhD in synthetic inorganic chemistry.

The post is available from April 2012. Applications should include a CV, publications list, contact details for three professional referees, and a completed form CHRIS/6 Parts I and III (downloadable from http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/forms/chris6/), and should be sent to Professor Dominic Wright, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW (email: dsw1000@cam.ac.uk).

This PhD studentship is available to start in October 2012. The student will work jointly under the supervision of Professor David Klenerman in the Department of Chemistry at Cambridge University and Professor Antony Carr in the MRC DNA Damage and Stability Centre at the University of Sussex. The successful applicant will be registered at Sussex and will contribute in both laboratories to an exciting joint programme to develop Photo-Activation Localisation Microscopy (PALM) for use in visualising replication and repair proteins in the fission yeast S. pombe. Super-resolution detection techniques break the diffraction-limit of conventional fluorescence microscopy and are starting to have a major impact on quantitative biology.

Our aim is to image and count single proteins, to visualise protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions, to study the dynamics of protein complex formation and to visualise changes of sub-cellular structures during DNA replication. We are interested in response of yeast cells to DNA damage and replication stress. PALM microscopy enables the precise in vivo localisation of proteins at the nanometre scale. We further aim to develop methods to locate single molecules using multi-colour detection. This will facilitate the precise determination of the co-localisation of different proteins and the study of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions in vivo for complex biochemical and cellular processes.

The successful applicant will join a highly interdisciplinary team of five scientists involved the development and automation of an instrument capable of PALM. They will be involved in testing and modelling its spatial and temporal resolution limits in a number of excitation and detection geometries. The application of PALM to biological imaging is the ultimate goal of the project. For their first two years the successful applicant will be affiliated to Christ’s College Cambridge working in the Chemistry Department to develop and characterise the microscope, and then will relocate with the instrument to Sussex to apply the methodology to the appropriate biological questions.

Applicants should have, or be about to receive, an honours degree (at least 2.i or equivalent) in chemistry, physics, or other discipline relevant to instrument development. Training in biology will be provide during the PhD. A background in physical chemistry, physics, biophysics or photonics are essential and should be coupled with and a strong interest in instrument development for biological studies. Interested individuals can seek further details from Prof David Klenerman (dk10012@cam.ac.uk) or Prof. Tony Carr (a.m.carr@sussex.ac.uk). Please include a CV with your enquiry.

To understand cancer and develop novel therapeutic interventions, we must develop a sophisticated knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate cell growth and division. While recent progress has identified many genetic and epigenetic determinants of cancer, it is increasingly recognised that there are in fact many more nucleic acid structures and chemical modifications to nucleic acid bases to consider.
The group of Professor Balasubramanian is deeply interested in two inter-related themes. The first theme concerns the biological role of non-canonical structures in DNA and RNA, in particular G-quadruplexes that can form from G-repeat sequences. Consistent with a role in regulating genome stability and oncogene gene expression, G-quadruplex structures are enriched within telomeres, promoter regions and also the gene bodies of many oncogenes. Indeed, treating cells with small chemical ligands that stabilise G-quadruplex structures can lead to a reduction of oncogene transcription, activation of a DNA damage response and ultimately genome instability, all coupled with anti-proliferative properties.
Despite these observations, several key questions remain to be answered. For example, definitive proof of the extent of G-quadruplex formation in vivo is lacking. Furthermore, how G-quadruplexes regulate gene expression and maintain genome integrity is not understood, and their potential functions in RNA remain to be elucidated in vivo.
Through these approaches we aim to explore nucleic acid structures as targets for drug development by designing small molecules that specifically compromise cancer cell function (for recent review see Nat Rev Drug Discov 10, 261-275, 2011). The second main theme builds on our Group's scientific history on the invention of methods for genetic analysis, in particular, next-generation sequencing technology (Solexa sequencing).
It appears increasing likely that further base modifications, other than methylation or hydroxymethylation of cytosine, exist and play important epigenetic roles. Very recent findings on hydroxymethyl cytosine suggest that such modifications add to the repertoire of epigenetic marks that control gene expression during development and cancer. In this project, we seek to invent and apply methodologies to identify new nucleic acid base modifications and where such modifications occur in the genome, at single base resolution.
The Balasubramanian laboratory is a multidisciplinary group that exploits both Chemistry and Biology to address fundamental mechanisms of genome function. Group members mix freely between two well-equipped laboratories within the University of Cambridge's Chemistry Department and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute.
We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic PhD student who is motivated to tackle exciting projects within our key themes. We seek students who are capable of independent thinking. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team will be strongly desirable. The student will develop and employ Chemical and/or Chemical Biological methods as a primary strategy. For this position, a strong Chemistry background with an interest in applying this knowledge to biological problems is highly desirable.

The studentship is available from October 2012. Applications should include a CV, a personal statement of interest, contact details for two academic referees, and should be sent to herchel-smith-medchem-pa@ch.cam.ac.uk.
Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Balasubramanian (sb10031@cam.ac.uk).