A chemist's approach to solving biological problems

An industrial CASE PhD position (over 4 years) is available to work with Dr Vijay Chudasama, Dr James Baker and LifeArc to aid in providing significant steps in this direction via the creation of protein-conjugates generated by site-specific protein modification. The student will carry out his/her doctoral research at UCL and also have the opportunity for work placements at LifeArc. There is a clear need for Organic Chemists to contribute to the field of Biology through the conduit of Chemical Biology. This project will be based on using core synthetic organic chemistry to deliver entities that will meet the needs of forming the next-generation of protein-based therapeutics. In the area of site-selective protein modification, we are at the centre of developing a ground-breaking technology based on the insertion of small molecules bearing reactive handles into native disulfide bonds and cysteines. With our experience, interesting challenges in the modification of certain peptides and proteins have arisen. There is an opportunity to contribute to this area and make a significant impact to the field of Chemical Biology.
The student will gain valuable research expertise during the course of this project, making them well qualified for future employment in either an academic or industrial setting. This project will provide a thorough training in synthetic organic chemistry and chemical biology, as well as in a series of transferable skills. The student will also be given plenty of opportunity to be creative, and includes a placement at LifeArc