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Molecular Mechanism for Initiation of DNA Replication in Bacteria

Supervisor :

Dr Aravindan Ilangovan

Dr Vladimir Volkov

Deadline :

27th January 2027

Funding :

Queen Mary University of London has partnered with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to offer a joint scholarship programme to enable Chinese students to study for a PhD programme at Queen Mary.  Under the scheme, Queen Mary will provide scholarships to cover all tuition fees, whilst the CSC will provide living expenses and one return flight ticket to successful applicants. 

 
Applicants must: 

  • Be applying for CSC funding.  
  • Be a citizen and permanent resident of the People’s Republic of China and hold a Chinese passport. 
  • Satisfy all eligibility criteria set out by the CSC and must refer to the CSC website for full details. 
  • Apply to QMUL by 27th January 2027. Late applications will not be considered.  
  • Submit ALL required documentation, including evidence of their English Language ability ahead of the CSC application deadline.  

 

CSC application rules differ slightly for domestic applicants (students applying from China) and overseas applicants (students applying from overseas). Therefore, ALL applicants are advised to see the CSC website for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.  

 

Project Overview

Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, new molecular targets and novel methods are required to tackle this issue. To be able to address this, we intend to study the replication of chromosomal DNA in bacteria, a fundamental cellular process that enables the transfer of genetic information from one generation to another in all cells. Our work will particularly focus on the initiation of replication in bacteria, which is unique compared to all other organisms, and we intend to understand this process at the molecular level. By using state-of-the-art techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we aim to elucidate the structural and mechanistic details of this process at the molecular level. This knowledge can be directly used for the design of novel antibiotics targeting these systems.

 

Research Environment 

The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary is recognized as one of the UK's elite research centres, as per the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We offer a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment where students have access to cutting-edge research facilities supported by experienced staff and a robust range of student support services.

Our group is based in the Blizard Institute, Whitechapel, a multidisciplinary research centre. For this proposed project, we have a dedicated cryo-EM facility equipped with a Jeol 2100 screening microscope, an X-ray crystallography facility, and regular access to eBIC and LonCEM for cryo-EM data collection. We also have frequent access to synchrotrons in the UK and Europe and are well-equipped with protein purification systems and other essential tools for this work.

School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences

 

Entry Requirements 

We are looking for candidates who have, or are expecting to receive, a first or upper-second-class Bachelor’s with honours degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Molecular Microbiology, Biotechnology, or related fields. A Master’s degree in one of these fields is desirable but not essential.

Knowledge of bacterial culture techniques, protein expression and purification, any biophysical techniques and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) would be highly advantageous but are not required.

You must meet the IELTS requirements for your course and upload evidence before CSC’s application deadline, ideally by 17th March 2027. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test as soon as possible, where your IELTS test must still be valid when you enrol for the programme.

Find out more about our entry requirements here.

 

How to Apply

Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by 27th January 2027 for consideration. Please identify yourself as a ‘CSC Scholar’ in the funding section of the application. 

Applicants are required to submit the following documents: 

  • Your CV 
  • Personal Statement 
  • Evidence of English Language e.g.) IELTS Certificate 
  • Copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates  
  • References 

Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.

 

Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Aravindan Ilangovan AT a.ilangovan@qmul.ac.uk. Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-phd-admissions@qmul.ac.uk.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the supervisor. If you are successful in your QMUL application, then you will be issued an QMUL Offer Letter, conditional on securing a CSC scholarship along with academic conditions still required to meet our entry requirements.  

Once applicants have obtained their QMUL Offer Letter, they should then apply to CSC for the scholarship with the support of the supervisor.  

For further information, please go to the QMUL China Scholarship Council webpage. 

 

Apply Online

 

See Also

 

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