A 3-year PhD project is available in the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) at the University of Strathclyde. This PhD project will investigate how different post-translational modifications affect the function of neuronal proteins and whether disruption of these processes is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
Project: S-acylation, a post-translational modification (PTM) involving the reversible attachment of fatty acids onto cysteine residues, is prominent on synaptic proteins. The importance of this PTM for normal brain function is clearly highlighted by evidence linking dysfunctional S-acylation with a range of neurological disorders, including intellectual disability, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disease. However, despite the importance of S-acylation, we lack basic information about how this process is regulated and how it might be perturbed in pathology. Cysteine residues are targets of a large array of different PTMs and recent work highlighted the potential for other cysteine modifications, such as S-nitrosylation, to inhibit protein S-acylation. Nitric oxide (NO) is produced at synapses any may therefore modulate the normal function of S-acylated synaptic proteins. Furthermore, NO-dependent effects on S-acylation may also be relevant in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s diseases, where there is increased pathological NO production. The aim of this project is to undertake a detailed molecular analysis of how S-acylation is regulated by S-nitrosylation and to determine whether the dynamic interplay between these two cysteine modifications is disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases.
Collaboration: This project is a collaborative PhD project between Professor Luke Chamberlain at University of Strathclyde and Dr Kenny Chung at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST, China). While this project will be conducted primarily at University of Strathclyde, the student will spend at least 6 months at HKUST to acquire new skills and produce data that will contribute to his/her PhD.
Funding and Application: This project is fully funded (Home / EU tuition fees and stipend at RCUK rates) for three years by the University’s strategic initiative for this collaborative PhD programme.
The successful candidate should have or expect to have an Honours Degree at 2.1 or above (or equivalent) in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Neuroscience or in a related area.
In the first instance, candidates may send their application to Professor Luke Chamberlain (luke.chamberlain@strath.ac.uk), including a CV and cover letter, detailing their motivation for this particular PhD project.
In the first instance, candidates may send their application to Professor Luke Chamberlain (luke.chamberlain@strath.ac.uk), including a CV and cover letter, detailing their motivation for this particular PhD project.
