UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX An MRC-funded PhD position is available immediately in the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex. The student will be supervised jointly by the laboratories of Professor Keith Caldecott and Dr Antony Oliver, and will experimentally address fundamental questions concerning the role of two human DNA repair proteins (XRCC1 and TDP2) that are critical for the maintenance of genome stability and impact on neuroprotection and cancer.
The project is divided into two distinct but complementary sub-projects. For one part of the project the student will employ a variety of molecular, biochemical, and cellular approaches to identify novel protein partner/s of the XRCC1 protein, focusing initially on specific candidates involved in DNA damage sensing, signaling, and DNA repair. In addition to this targeted approach, affinity-purification and mass spectrometric analysis of epitope-tagged XRCC1 protein complexes will identify unanticipated novel partners. For the second part of the project, the student will address the structure of a second novel double-strand break repair protein we have recently identified, denoted TDP2 This protein is implicated in the repair of DNA damage induced by an important class of chemotherapeutic agents and is a putative target for novel anti-cancer agents. This PhD project will provide an attractive balance of biochemical, biophysical/structural, and cellular approaches, providing the successful applicant with a broad and competitive skill-set. The internationally renowned Genome Damage and Stability Centre and the School of Life Sciences is very well equipped for all aspects of modern structural biology, with state-of-the-art laboratories for molecular biology, recombinant expression in bacterial and eukaryotic systems, biochemistry, biophysics and X-ray crystallography. Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Caldecott ([email protected]) or Dr Oliver ([email protected]). Closing date: June 24, 2011 For full details and how to apply see: www.sussex.ac.uk/gdsc/1-1.php The University of Sussex is committed to equality of opportunity
