Dear all, I will highly appreciate if the ad below is brought to the attention of students who may be interested. Thanks!
Applications are invited from recent graduates or final year undergraduates for the following PhD project in the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge, UK: Structure of bacterial respiratory complex I The aim of the project is to determine the crystal structure of respiratory complex I, which plays a central role in cellular energy production and is implicated in many human neurodegenerative diseases. We have determined the first X-ray structure of the catalytic core of this large molecular machine (Science 311, 1430-6 and Science 309, 771-4) and now aim to solve the structure of the entire complex by X-ray crystallography. This studentship will provide an excellent opportunity to gain broad experience in structural biology, X-ray crystallography and biochemistry. The Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit is a leading international research centre that provides an opportunity for cutting-edge research. Facilities include a range of fermentors/chromatography systems for protein purification, electron microscopes, crystallisation robots and home X-ray sources. We have regular access to ESRF, SLS and Diamond synchrotrons. Our students are normally part of the Graduate School of Biological Sciences of Cambridge University and become members of one of the University colleges. The MRC studentship providing college fees and stipend (about £14500 pa subject to review) will be offered on a competitive basis subject to eligibility (EU citizens). The starting date is October 2009. Enquiries should be directed to Dr. L.A. Sazanov (saza...@mrc- mbu.cam.ac.uk) Full details are available at http://www.mrc-mbu.cam.ac.uk/