Current Vacancies
PhD position: Metabolic engineering of bacteria to produce non-coded amino acids

PhD position: Metabolic engineering of bacteria to produce non-coded amino acids
Salary: Stipend of min €18500/year plus tuition fees for 4 years
Location: University College Dublin
Hours: Full time
Contract: Start date 1st September. 4 years PhD
Deadline: Apply by the 23rd August 2023
Non-coded amino acids (ncAAs) are so called because they are not found in natural polypeptide chains. Many ncAAs are formed as secondary metabolites in bacteria, fungi, plants, or marine organisms, or they can be synthesised chemically. Finally, ncAAs can be used to modify peptides, to probe or modify their function, or reduce proteolysis.
This project will focus on the engineering of a host microbe for the in vivo production of an ncAA, and its subsequent in vivo incorporation into an antimicrobial peptide. We will also investigate the effect of the ncAA on the peptide bioactivity.
Interested candidates should contact Tanja Narancic (e-mail: Tanja.narancic@ucd.ie) and Kevin O’Connor (e-mail: kevin.oconnor@ucd.ie) with a cover letter and CV, including the names of two academic references.
To read the full job description please follow this link