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Unlock the Future: Engineering Biology to Sense the Impossible
Secondary Supervisor(s): TBC
University of Registration: University of Birmingham
BBSRC Research Themes: Integrated Understanding of Health (Pharmaceuticals)
Project Outline
Join the Revolution: PhD in Engineering Biology to Unleash the Power of Nature's Sensing Abilities!
The Challenge
What if we could harness the incredible natural powers that animals and organisms use to sense the world around them? Imagine a world where we can detect everything from hormones like insulin, to plant diseases, to narcotics—all without relying on animals. This is your chance to join the cutting edge of Engineering Biology, where science and nature collide to create extraordinary, life-changing sensors.
At the frontier of synthetic biology, we're developing revolutionary sensors inspired by nature’s finest mechanisms, like the cellular receptors in organisms that detect chemical signals. Picture sensors that could revolutionize healthcare, agriculture, and defense, pushing the boundaries of what's possible!
Your Mission
You'll be at the forefront of this breakthrough by working on a "bottom-up" approach, combining biological components like proteins and receptors to build a next-gen sensing system. Our lab has already made global strides with methods such as SMALPs, which stabilize key proteins (like GPCRs), opening the door to new sensing platforms that could change industries.
We're not just theorizing—we’re working with sectors ranging from agriculture to defense, creating real-world solutions that these fields are eagerly awaiting. If you’re excited by the chance to challenge scientific conventions and see your work applied in the real world, this PhD is your chance to make an impact.
Scientific Background
Our breakthrough technique, developed in 2009, SMALPs (Styrene-Maleic Acid Lipid Particles) (1), allows us to stabilize membrane proteins—nature's ultimate sensor molecules—while maintaining their natural environment. This technology enables the creation of highly stable and active proteins, including GPCRs, which act as nature’s "detectors" for everything from hormones to neurotransmitters (2,3).
We’re now aiming to take this pioneering work even further, using GPCR-SMALPs to develop a completely new class of molecular detectors. These could be applied across medicine, agriculture, and even the detection of substances like cannabis. We’ve already developed a method to track the shape changes these proteins undergo, using fluorescence detection, and are now exploring even more detection modalities.
Work in This Project As a PhD student in our lab, you’ll continue the exciting work already laid by a fellow PhD researchers, who has developed a system to produce a range of GPCR-SMALPs. You’ll take these advancements and push them even further, exploring cutting-edge detection methods like fluorescence and electrochemical detection.
Your goal will be to build a platform capable of creating the next generation of molecular detectors, applying your research to real-world problems, with a focus on global impact.
Are you ready to be a part of this scientific revolution? Apply now to embark on this exciting journey and help shape the future of sensor technology.
References
1) Knowles, T.J., et al., J Am Chem Soc, 2009. 131(22): p. 7484-5.
2) Grime R.L. et al., Nanoscale. 2021 Aug 21;13(31):13519-13528.
3) Routledge S. J. et al., Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2020 Jun 1; 1862(6):183235.
