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PhD CASE Studentship in Structure-based Drug Design / Molecular Modeling: A structure-based approach to predict protein druggability
The assessment of druggability for a particular protein is crucial for choosing the ‘right’ targets into the discovery pipeline. Increasing availability of 3D protein structure information through advances in protein crystallography and the improvements in homology model building provide an incentive to stronger exploit such protein structure information even during target validation. While the idea that small molecules have physicochemical properties that make them more or less drug-like is widely accepted, the complementary reasoning that binding sites of target proteins must also have analogous drugability-descriptors, is currently underrated.
A fully-funded PhD project in the University of Dundee / School of Life Sciences in the group of Dr. Ruth Brenk is now available that will aim to develop a method to predict the druggability of a protein based on its structure. Protein binding sites will be analyzed to derive suitable predictors to distinguish drug-binding sites from non-drug binding sites. The method will then be applied to proteins that are on the target list of the drug discovery for tropical diseases initiative at the University of Dundee to help prioritizing the targets (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_wtx027342.html).
The project is a CASE collaboration with AstraZeneca, who will provide additional support. The student will also spend some time in the company to interact with the scientists directly.
Students should have, or expect to obtain, a minimum of an upper second-class degree (or equivalent) in the area of life sciences / bioinformatics and should have some programming experience. To be eligible for support the students MUST be EU citizens or UK residents.
The 5* research-rated School comprises 70 Research Groups and 700 staff from 51 countries and was recently rated the best European Research Institute in which to work (”The Scientist”, November 7th 2005). Dundee, set on the east-coast of Scotland, lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty, including large sandy beaches and challenging hills. Rainfall charts show this is one of the most sunny & dry places in the UK, see http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ mapped.html.
Further details are available from Dr. Ruth Brenk ([EMAIL PROTECTED], +44 (0)1382 386230)
To apply, please send a CV and details of at least two referees to Gail Guild ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), Postgraduate Administrator, School of Life Sciences, MSI/WTB Complex, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH.
The starting date is flexible. -- Dr. Ruth Brenk Biological Chemistry and Molecular Microbiology School of Life Sciences University of Dundee Dow St. Dundee, DD1 5EH U.K. +44 (0)1382 386230 (phone) +44 (0)1382 345764 (fax) http://www.dundee.ac.uk/biocentre/SLSBDIV1rb.htm
