DTP Studentships

Posted on by Charlie Johnson
Job ID:
Job date: 2014-10-12
End Date:

Company : TGAC 

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Role : Student 


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Job Description:

Title: Improving miRNA target prediction in animals
Supervisor: Dr Simon Moxon
Department: The Genome Analysis Centre/JIC
Contact email: simon.moxon@tgac.ac.uk
Co-supervisor: Dr Tamas Dalmay
Secondary Supervisor: Dr Federica Di Palma
Reference: MOXON_G15DTP1
Application deadline: 01 December 2014
Start date: 01 October 2015
Project type: PhD - 4 year Project
Funding: BBSRC DTP
Project SummaryGene expression is a complex process and can be regulated at several levels. One of the most recentlydiscovered regulatory layers, called RNA silencing, involves microRNAs (miRNAs) a class of small noncodingRNA of around 22 nucleotides in length. MiRNAs interact with messenger RNAs (mRNAs) bybinding to complementary regions called target sites. This interaction, which can be predicted bycomputer algorithms, typically leads to translational repression and/or mRNA degradation in animals,thus repressing gene expression post-transcriptionally. MiRNAs are important regulators playing keyroles in development, and misregulation of these tiny molecules can cause many diseases such asneurodegeneration and cancer in humans. Since the advent of next-generation sequencing thousands of miRNA sequences have been identified inplants, animals and viruses. However determining the targets (and therefore function) of thesemolecules is still a major challenge in the field as currently purely computational prediction methods areprone to false positive predictions. This project aims to use a combined computational and experimental approach to better understand andimprove miRNA target prediction in animals. The student will develop and apply novel bioinformaticstechniques to further our knowledge of miRNA targeting and improve the accuracy of computationaltarget prediction by integrating multiple sequencing data types (e.g. RNA-Seq & small RNA-Seq) fromindividual tissues under the supervision of Dr. Simon Moxon at The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC).They will then go on to experimentally validate the predicted targets with Prof. Tamas Dalmay at theUniversity of East Anglia.
Further Information

Funding

This project has been shortlisted for funding by the Norwich Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP). Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed as part of the studentship competition. Candidates will be interviewed on either the 13, 14 or 15 January 2015. The Norwich Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP) offers postgraduates the opportunity to undertake a 4 year research project whilst enhancing professional development and research skills through a comprehensive training programme. You will join a vibrant community of world-leading researchers. All NRPDTP students undertake a three months professional internship (PIPS) during their study. The internship offers exciting and invaluable work experience designed to enhance professional development. Full support and advice will be provided by our Professional Internship team.

Academic Eligibility

Applicants for DTP studentships must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an area relevant to their proposed field of research. Studentships awarded based on predicted grades will be conditional upon final results. If English is not the first language applicants must also meet the University’s English language requirements. Details of English Language requirements for candidates for research degrees in Science or Medicine and Health can be found at: https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/entry-requirements.

Funding Eligibility

Funding for PhD studentships from BBSRC is available to successful candidates who meet the UK Research Council (RCUK) eligibility criteria. Detailed guidance of the requirements can be found on the BBSRC website. In most cases UK and EU citizens who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of the course are eligible for a full-award. Other EU citizens may qualify for a fees only award from BBSRC if they meet the EU residency requirements or a full award if they are migrant workers in the UK. All candidates should check the RCUK eligibility guidelines to confirm their eligibility for funding, before they apply. The NRPDTP also offers Bioscience Doctoral Scholarships which pay a maintenance grant at the minimum RCUK level to students in the NRP Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme who meet the EU residency requirements for a fees-only award. There is no application form for this funding; as long as you have applied for admission by the deadline and meet the RCUK eligibility criteria for a fees-only award from the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership you will automatically be considered for this funding. If you have any queries, please Contact Us For full details on eligibility (qualifications and residence criteria) see the BBSRC Guide to Studentship Eligibility: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Guidelines/studentship_eligibility.pdf Apply To apply, please visit our website: www.biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk For further information please contact graduates.nrp@nbi.ac.uk

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