PhD in Structural Biology - Structural Virology

University of Leeds

A research degree in the Faculty of Biological Sciences is an opportunity to gain and develop skills as an independent researcher in your chosen field. Under the supervision of your lead supervisor and one or more co-supervisors, you will get the chance to carry out cutting-edge research on a particular biological problem and to become part of a large research community using multi-disciplinary approaches to tackle today’s important research questions. Throughout your PhD you will not only strengthen your research skills and knowledge within your research area but also develop skills through our training programmes as well as through attendance as seminars and conferences.Viruses are obligate parasites that infect hosts in all kingdoms of life. Understanding the structure of viruses, viral proteins, and the complexes they form with host proteins is therefore critical in human and animal health, and in food security. The structure of biological molecules and the complexes they form underpins most biological function. Therefore, structural biology is a key tool in modern biological discovery. We want to understand the structures of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids, and the complexes they form. Structural biology also encompasses understanding how those structures move, and incorporates the principles of molecular biology, biochemistry biophysics, modelling and simulation.