PhD Studentship: Breaking Code: Deciphering the Biology of the Selfless Virus-like Gene Transfer Agents

Overview

The University of East Anglia offers a four-year PhD studentship within the John Innes Centre, based in the laboratory of Prof. Tung Le in the Department of Molecular Microbiology. The research project focuses on deciphering the biology of virus-like Gene Transfer Agents, examining how bacteria exchange genetic information through horizontal gene transfer and investigating the domestication of genetic information to support the engineering of synthetic particles. Students receive multidisciplinary training encompassing molecular microbiology, fluorescence microscopy, omics, protein-protein interaction studies, and structural biology.

Who can apply

Applications are welcomed from students across the biological sciences who want to work on a multidisciplinary project and meet the academic and language criteria.

Requirements

Applicants must hold at least a UK equivalence Bachelors Honours 2:1 degree. Candidates must also satisfy the English Language requirement, which corresponds to the Faculty of Science equivalent of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6 in each category.

What you get

The studentship is awarded through the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership and provides coverage for tuition fees paid directly to the university. It includes a stipend to cover living expenses, set at the 2026/27 rate of £21,805 per annum, alongside a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year for each year of the studentship.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-11-30. The program officially starts on 1 October 2027.