Details
About the BBSRC Yorkshire Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (YBDTP):
The YBDTP brings together world-class bioscience research and innovation, as well as excellence in doctoral supervision, across the Yorkshire and Teesside region. The YBDTP will fund postgraduate researchers at the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam and Teesside forming a strong regional training partnership. In YBDTP you'll benefit from a regional doctoral training programme that has interdisciplinary collaboration at its core. The aim is to enable you to develop a range of research skills in biological, biotechnology and biochemical areas as well as equip you with core data analysis and professional skills that are necessary for bioscience research and related non-academic careers.
https://www.yorkshirebiosciencedtp.ac.uk
Project Description:
Join an exciting interdisciplinary project at the forefront of structural biology, molecular biophysics, and drug discovery. This PhD opportunity aims to unravel how intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) regulate the activity of human condensin complexes (1,2)-key molecular machines responsible for organising and segregating chromosomes during cell division.
Understanding IDR-mediated interactions is a major challenge due to their dynamic, low-affinity nature and difficulties in protein purification. This project overcomes these hurdles using cutting-edge techniques: Al based computational protein modelling with AlphaFold and BindCraft, and high- throughput single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) developed in partnership with biotech company Exciting Instruments. FRET enables precise detection of fluorescently labelled protein-IDR interactions using minimal material, making it ideal for screening for peptide based inhibitors.
You will model and design FRET-compatible labelling sites on condensin complexes, express and purify target proteins, and screen peptide libraries for specific IDR interaction inhibitors. Promising hits will be validated through in vitro and cell-based assays, providing not only mechanistic insight into condensin regulation but also identifying novel peptide-based inhibitors with therapeutic potential.
This project offers comprehensive training in structural prediction, fluorescence-based biophysics, biochemistry and cell-based assays. It provides the opportunity to work at the interface of academia and industry and contribute to the development of transformative technologies with applications across structural biology and drug discovery.
For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Erin Cutts
Link to website: https://sheffield.ac.uk/biosciences/people/academic-staff/erin-cutts
Eligibility:
Open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students.
You can apply if you have, or are expecting to gain, at least an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this programme, we welcome applications if your background is in any biological, chemical or physical science or mathematics and are interested in using your skills in addressing biological questions. International students should check if they meet the entry requirements for the host university.
We aim to support the most outstanding applicants from outside the UK and are able to offer a very limited number of bursaries that will enable full studentships to be awarded to international (EU and non-EU) applicants. These full studentships will only be awarded to exceptional quality candidates, due to the highly competitive nature of this scheme.
The YBDTP is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Not all projects will be funded; a limited number of candidates will be appointed via a competitive process.
English language: If English isn't your first language, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. Please see the English language requirements for the host university.
How to apply:
Application deadline: 5pm (UK time), Wednesday 7th January 2026
To submit your application, click on the link to the Expression of Interest form (also found in the Funding Notes section) of any of your chosen projects. You can apply for up to two YBDTP projects (which can be at different universities).
If you have any questions about the application process, please email YBDTP@leeds.ac.uk
If you have any questions about the project you are interested in, please email the project supervisor.
How we allocate:
Shortlisting will take place as soon as possible after the closing date and successful applicants will be notified promptly. If you're shortlisted, you'll be invited for an interview on a date to be confirmed in February 2025. You'll be notified as soon as possible after the interview dates whether your application has been successful, placed on a reserve list or unsuccessful. If you are successful, you'll be required to confirm your intention to accept the studentship within 10 days.
Terms and conditions:
The studentships are fully funded for four years, and you must complete your PhD in four years.
You'll receive the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend per year for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular installments. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stipend is tax free and does not need to be paid back.
International students will need to have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their student visa, NHS health surcharge, travel insurance and travel to the UK as these are excluded from UKRI funding.
Funding Notes
A tax-free annual stipend at the standard UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26 entry), research costs and tuition fees at UK rate
Academic year: 2026/27
Open to: International (including EU) and UK (home) students
To apply for a studentship from the Yorkshire Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership to undertake this project, please complete an expression of interest form for October 2026 recruitment here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/yorkshire-bioscience-dtp-expression-of-interest-form-1
References
1. Cutts, E. E., Tetiker, D., Kim, E., & Aragon, L. (2024). Molecular mechanism of condensin I activation by KIF4A. The EMBO Journal, 44(3), 682-704. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-024-00340-w
2. Borsellini, A.*, Conti, D.*, Cutts, E. E.*^, Harris, R. J.*, Walstein, K., Graziadei, A., Cecatiello, V., Aarts, T. F., Xie, R., Mazouzi, A., Sen, S., Hoencamp, C., ..., Rowland B.^, Musacchio A^, Vannini, A^. (2025). Condensin II activation by M18BP1. Molecular Cell, 85(14), 2688-2700.e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2025.06.014 *equal contribution, ^corresponding