PhD Studentship
Discovery & Characterisation Of Novel Ligands For Deubiquitinating Enzymes
University of Nottingham - Centre for Biomolecular Sciences & the School of Veterinary Medicine & Science
Supervisors: Dr Ingrid Dreveny, Dr Kevin Gough, University of Nottingham
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a background in biochemistry or related discipline to join a project on the discovery and characterisation of ubiquitin specific protease ligands.
In eukaryotic organisms ubiquitination serves as a signal to mark proteins for degradation. As an important cellular 'decision-making' mechanism, ubiquitination is tightly regulated and can be reversed by deubiquitinating enzymes. Ubiquitin specific proteases (USPs) constitute the largest family of deubiquitinating enzymes in the human genome. USPs interact with a plethora of different proteins to exert a regulatory function on protein degradation and signalling pathways and are specific to a limited number of substrates (1). Substrates are typically short-lived proteins such as those that control cell cycle progression. It is therefore not surprising that USPs have been linked to cancer and are deemed new drug targets (2).
The aim of the project is to isolate novel USP binding peptides employing phage display techniques, uncover consensus sequences and map the interaction between a USP and two known binding partners. Identified peptides will be characterised in terms of their effect upon catalytic activity and USP structure using X-ray crystallography. This will ultimately lead to a better understanding of substrate specificity and the development of novel anti-cancer drugs.
The successful student will have the opportunity to join a multidisciplinary team based in the new Centre for Biomolecular Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham, benefiting from a diverse and stimulating research environment.
This fully funded three year studentship commencing in autumn 2011 will pay tuition fees and a stipend for UK or EU students of around £13,500 per year. Due to funding restrictions this studentship is only open to UK/EU students.
To apply, please send a cover letter and curriculum vitae with the names of two referees toingrid.dreveny@nottingham.ac.uk and kevin.gough@nottingham.ac.uk.
Please quote ref. SCI/1007.
This studentship will remain open until filled.
1. Sowa, M. E., Bennett, E. J., Gygi, S. P., and Harper, J. W. (2009) Defining the human deubiquitinating enzyme interaction landscape, Cell 138, 389-403.
2. Daviet, L., and Colland, F. (2008) Targeting ubiquitin specific proteases for drug discovery, Biochimie 90, 270-283.
For all our vacancies and more about working at the University of Nottingham see: http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/.
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