Supervisors: Phillip Stansfeld, David Roper

Student: Matyas Parrag

The cell envelope serves as the front-line to both defence and pathogenicity in bacteria. Critical protein assemblies are required to mature, localise and assemble proteins, sugars and lipids around the cell to enable protection against antibiotics, phages and toxins, and to modulate cell structure and shape. A major component of this is the essential extracellular cell wall, which forms a mesh-like coat around the cell. Its assembly is the target for many antibiotics. Here we will use molecular simulation to study the protein machinery responsible for the formation of the cell wall and other biogenesis pathways within the cell envelope.

This PhD proposal would ideally suit a student who was interested in developing and/or applying novel tools and software from the perspective of studying a crucial biomedical problem. The student will benefit from the extensive biochemical and simulation knowledge within the Stansfeld and Roper groups, and be able to bring their own skills to the development of their project.

For further details see: https://stansfeldresearchgroup.wordpress.com/ and https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/research/droper