AstraZeneca funded Non-clinical PhD Studentship (Fixed Term) in Improved 2A peptides for co-translational separation of a polyprotein

Overview

This is a four-year funded PhD studentship starting on October 1, 2027. The position is based in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge and at the AstraZeneca Discovery Centre at Cambridge, involving joint supervision by Professor Andrew Firth at the University of Cambridge and Dr Giovanni Ciotta at AstraZeneca. The student will have the opportunity to work across both sites on a collaborative project focusing on peptide-bond skipping sequences to aid protein engineering.

What you get

The studentship is funded by AstraZeneca and provides an annual salary ranging from £23,805. The appointee will hold a fixed-term contract working full-time on an onsite basis.

Requirements

The project centers on manipulating 2A peptides, which mediate co-translational separation of a polyprotein through ribosome skipping. While traditional 2A peptides are useful in biotechnology for allowing multi-subunit complex expression from a single promoter, they feature limitations such as ribosome drop-off, pausing, stalling, and separation failure. The research will investigate newly identified classes of 2A sequences and optimize them for biotechnological applications. The student will focus primarily on molecular biology techniques, with opportunities for bioinformatic skill development and potential structural biology experience. Work at the AstraZeneca site will involve implementing optimized sequences in specific applications, including cell therapy.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is November 30, 2026. The studentship begins on October 1, 2027.