Status: Open
Applications open: 12/07/2021
Applications close: 30/08/2021
About this scholarship
Normal genes responsible for cell growth, development, and differentiation can cause cancer when their activity or expression is increased, so called "oncogenes". Other genes that normally act to stop the uncontrolled growth of cells - "tumour suppressor" genes - can also cause cancer if mutations or reduced gene expression lower their activity. Therefore, cancer is fundamentally a disease of defective genes and gene expression. This project will use cutting edge synthetic biology approaches to create new technologies to control gene expression, providing new ways to understand cancer targets and new protein-based therapies to modulate gene expression in cancers that resist current treatment regimes. Our laboratory has established new protein-based therapies that can target single stranded DNA and RNA in a programmable manner, which are now moving towards clinical trials. In this project the successful applicant will build expertise in synthetic biology and capitalize on the established skills in the laboratory of European Inventor Hall of Fame inductee Professor Oliver Rackham to engineer proteins to target key oncogenes, tumour suppressors and other critical cancer drivers.
- Future Students
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Higher Degree by Research
- Australian Citizen
- Australian Permanent Resident
- New Zealand Citizen
- Permanent Humanitarian Visa
- Merit Based
Total value of the annual scholarships (stipend and fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a. Curtin PhD Stipends are valued at $28,597 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years.
Successful applicants will receive a 100% Fee offset.
Scholarship Details
1
All applicable HDR courses
• Undergraduate degree in Biochemistry, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology or a related discipline
• A passionate student, interested in synthetic biology and the potential of synthetic biology in medicine
• Willingness to learn new skills
• Good problem solving skills
• Ability to work well independently or in a team
Application process
If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should email the project lead, expressing your interest (EOI) in this project.
Your EOI email should include your current curriculum vitae, a summary of your research skills and experience and the reason you are interested in this specific project.
Enrolment Requirements
Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2022
Enquiries
To enquire about this project opportunity contact the Project lead (listed below).
Name: Professor Oliver Rackham
Email: [email protected]
Contact Number: 8 6151 0735
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