Understanding the molecular machines that make Cilia
- Supervisors: Dr Mark van Breugel
- Studentship Funding:
- Name: SBBS Studentship
- Funder: School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at QMUL
- Application Deadline: 23:59pm on Apr 20th 2025
- Expected Start Date: 15th Sept (Sept 2025 Entry)
Download this document for further details, eligibility criteria and how to apply. [PDF 129KB]
Project Overview
Applications are open for a 3-year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.
Cilia are hair-like cell projections that are crucial for human life and play essential roles in sensing, signaling, and generating fluid movement. When cilia malfunction, they cause multi-organ diseases known as ciliopathies. Despite their importance, key aspects of cilia formation remain poorly understood such as the extensive membrane shaping and remodeling events observed during this process and the complex organisation and regulation of the underlying machinery.
This PhD project aims to uncover these mechanisms using biochemical, structural, and cell biological approaches. Initially focusing on the Chibby1-Fam92 complex (1), that we began to characterize in our lab (2), the research will expand to broader aspects of cilia formation, including the impact of patient-derived mutations. This work will shed light on a fundamental but understudied process in vertebrates as well as offering insights into cilia-related diseases.
We seek a motivated candidate excited by molecular mechanisms and discovery-driven research. The role includes independently leading experiments, preparing high-quality manuscripts, presenting findings, and help with mentoring other students. The successful applicant will join the van Breugel group within QMUL’s Blizard Institute, an active hub of structural and cell biology experts.
Research Environment
The van Breugel group is a leading research group elucidating the roles and molecular mechanisms of centriole and cilia protein complexes in health and in disease through biochemical, structural and cell biological approaches that are established in the lab.
Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.
Entry Requirements & Criteria
We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project such as Biochemistry, Cell Biology or Structural Biology. Candidates must also have experience conducting research in a laboratory environment.
Knowledge of ciliogenesis and practical experience in working with cilia-associated protein-complexes (using biochemical, structural or cell biological techniques) is a plus but not required. However, a solid understanding of protein-biochemistry, high-resolution structural approaches (X-ray crystallography, EM) as well as common approaches in cell biology are highly advantageous.
Find out more about our entry requirements here.
Funding
The studentship is funded by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years at the UKRI rate (£21,237 in 2024/25).
Please find out more about funding and eligibility via: Van Breugel QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 129KB]
Any further queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk
How to Apply
- Previous experience relevant to this project
- Your motivations for pursuing this position
- Your career aspirations
- Any further information you think is relevant to the application
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.
Further details can be downloaded here: Van Breugel QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 129KB]
References
(1) Lapart JA, Billon A, Duteyrat JL, Thomas J, Durand B. Role of DZIP1-CBY-FAM92 transition zone complex in the basal body to membrane attachment and ciliary budding. Biochem Soc Trans. 2020 Jun 30;48(3):1067-1075. doi: 10.1042/BST20191007. PMID: 32491167.
(2) van Breugel M, Rosa E Silva I, Andreeva A. Structural validation and assessment of AlphaFold2 predictions for centrosomal and centriolar proteins and their complexes. Commun Biol. 2022 Apr 5;5(1):312. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03269-0. PMID: 35383272; PMCID: PMC8983713.