Masters by Research projects
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Projects available for September 2020. ​Additional research costs: £1200 for bench costs. For specific enquiries, please email: s.j.r.moore[at]kent.ac.uk

1. Directed biosynthesis of xenobiotic drugs 
This project will look at novel routes to drug design using directed biosynthesis to understand the design rules of targeted drug synthesis in order to explore novel analogs of a potent antitumour agent.

Techniques: Enzymology, spectrometry (NMR, MS) and bioassays

2.  Awakening cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters with synthetic biology 
This project will use a synthetic biology perspective to look at new ways of unlocking silent biosynthetic gene clusters to discover new antibiotics.

Techniques: CRISRP-Cas9 engineering, microbiology and natural product analysis

3. The biosynthesis of an anti-tumour drug from Streptomyces
This project will look at the biosynthesis of an indole alkaloid, with potential antitumor activity (in phase I clinical trials) and will specifically focus on developing an understanding of the chemical logic of its biosynthesis.

Techniques: Enzymology, spectrometry (NMR, MS)

4.  Cell-free protein synthesis
Cell-free systems are a rapidly developing area within synthetic biology. Here we initially set-up a Streptomyces cell-free protein synthesis platform and will investigate ways of assembling natural products in a cell-free environment. 

Techniques: Cell-free protein synthesis, Golden Gate DNA assembly

Funding Oppurtunities

Unfortunately we have no job opportunities available at this current time.

​However, if you are interested in applying to join the Moore lab there are various funding sources (student led) and scholarships (national support) that can be explored for PhD studentship applications. Please send your CV and summary of your research interests to: s.j.r.moore[at]kent.ac.uk