PhD Opportunity

[Rickman, Colin]

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Hi

I have a fully funded PhD studentship available from now. If you could send this round anybody you think may be interested that would be fantastic. The advert is below:

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PhD Studentship

Development of anisotropic super-resolution microscopy for biomedical research

The Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering (http://www.ib3.eps.hw.ac.uk) at Heriot-Watt University is offering a fully funded PhD project to develop a new type of super-resolution microscopy. This multidisciplinary project will combine physics and chemistry to answer key questions in cellular communication.

The use of light to examine biological form and function has been a cornerstone of biomedical research for over 350 years. In the intervening period biological advances have mirrored the development of new optical technologies increasing sensitivity, resolution and speed. Coupled with the ability to selectively label specific cellular molecules, with spectrally resolvable fluorophores, fluorescence optical microscopy provides the state-of-the-art non-invasive approach to probe intracellular function. However, despite these technological advances, the resolution of optical microscopes is ultimately limited by the physical properties of diffracted light (the Rayleigh criterion) to a few hundred nanometres. A cell may typically contain many tens of thousands of copies of an individual protein, at densities too high to resolve each individual protein. Recent technological advances have pushed the resolution limit down through supra-molecular (SIM and STED) to single molecule levels (PALM and STORM) These single molecule techniques hold the promise of revolutionising our view of the molecules underlying cellular physiology and many pathological conditions.

This project will develop a new super-resolution technique with the ability to detect and discriminate individual protein molecules in cells. The successful applicant will learn a wide variety of skills in chemical synthesis, protein biochemistry, mammalian cell biology and data processing. A significant part of this project will involve the chemical synthesis of new reactive dyes for use in cellular labelling. Candidates must therefore have a strong background in organic chemistry with experience in the design and development of synthetic strategies desirable. In addition, experience of data processing and numerical analysis will be beneficial. The ideal candidate will have a 1st or good 2.1 Masters degree (MChem, MSci or equivalent) in chemistry or an associated chemistry subject.

Interested candidates should contact Dr Colin Rickman ([hidden email]) or Dr Nicola Howarth ([hidden email]) with a full CV before 14th May 2012.



Thanks


Colin

Dr Colin Rickman
Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh
EH14 4AS

Tel: [phone] (Office)

http://www.ib3.eps.hw.ac.uk
http://lifescienceinterface.hw.ac.uk





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