PhD Studentship: Peptide-Membrane Dynamics in Pain Relief Research

Join a world-leading, cross-continental research team

The University of Exeter and the University of Queensland are seeking exceptional students to join a world-leading, cross-continental research team tackling major challenges facing the world’s population in global sustainability and wellbeing as part of the QUEX Institute. The joint PhD programme provides a fantastic opportunity for the most talented doctoral students to work closely with world-class research groups and benefit from the combined expertise and facilities offered at the two institutions, with a lead supervisor within each university. This prestigious programme provides full tuition fees, stipend, travel funds and research training support grants to the successful applicants.  The studentship provides funding for up to 42 months (3.5 years).

Eight generous, fully-funded studentships are available for the best applicants, four offered by the University of Exeter and four by the University of Queensland. This select group will spend at least one year at each University and will graduate with a joint degree from the University of Exeter and the University of Queensland.

Find out more about the PhD studentships click here

Successful applicants will have a strong academic background and track record to undertake research projects based in one of the three themes of:  Healthy Living, Global Environmental Futures and Digital Worlds and Disruptive Technologies.

The closing date for applications is mid-day Friday June 28th 2024 (BST), with interview to be w/c 29th July 2024 (tbc). The start date is expected to be Monday January 6th 2025.

Please note that of the eight Exeter led projects advertised, we expect that up to four studentships will be awarded to Exeter based students.

THEME - Healthy Living

Project Description

Within the theme of Healthy Living, this project aims to understand how biologically active molecules, specifically venom-derived peptides targeting pain pathways, interact with cell membranes and therapeutically relevant transmembrane targets. Understanding these interactions is crucial for the design of novel therapeutics addressing the urgent need for more efficacious, non-addictive analgesic molecules.

Our project introduces a new way of studying these interactions, using a state-of-the-art optical sensor developed at the University of Exeter. This sensor can measure fast changes at the single peptide level without the need for fluorescent labels, enabling us to ‘watch’ how peptides move and change shape near or when bound to membranes.
By combining Exeter's sensor technology with techniques from the University of Queensland, we hope to answer important questions relevant to health and well-being, including how we can rationally modify peptides to fine-tune the function of transmembrane ion channels that are critical for activity of pain-sensing nerves, or how we can modulate peptide-membrane interaction properties to develop new analgesics with prolonged duration of action.
You will first learn how to use the single molecule sensor in Exeter to study the interaction between peptides and other molecules and model membranes, establishing the tool for the first time for sensing single-peptides near membranes. Then, you'll work with experts at the University of Queensland to make specific peptides to identify the molecular determinants of peptide-membrane and peptide-target interactions. You will also use special analysis techniques, including patch-clamp electrophysiology to delineate the structure-activity of peptide ion channel modulators. Outcomes of the new single molecules experiments will be benchmarked against data generated using existing biophysical measurements including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and isothermal calorimetry.