Cellular Structural Biology DPhil

The DPhil in Cellular Structural Biology provides outstanding training in structural biology methodology, allowing students to apply their knowledge to methods development or to the study of important molecular and cellular systems.

Students spend the first year learning a range of structural biology techniques, undertaking two five-month projects in different laboratories and following taught courses. We encourage students to learn two of the major structural biology techniques during these two projects.

Students then spend years two to four of the programme primarily engaged in their research projects. They have the opportunity to work with outstanding structural biologists, continuing to develop structural methods, or to investigate the molecular basis for cellular processes, including in infection or membrane biology. Collaborative projects are highly encouraged, with students building supervisory teams, which contain their primary structural biology supervisor as well as others with expertise in complementary methods or particular biological questions.

Training in key research techniques should include:

• X-ray crystallography
• nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
• electron cryo-microscopy and electron tomography
• synchrotron radiation and integrative structural biology
• high-resolution light microscopy
• computational biochemistry and molecular simulations.

The students write reports at the end of each rotation project and have the opportunity to discuss the report and their research project with one of the principal investigators associated with the programme. They also prepare a project proposal at the end of the first year to outline what they plan to do during their DPhil project. Both of these activities provide valuable training in proposal and report writing.

The students are also enrolled in the standard University-based monitoring of progress. They will receive termly progress reports. They will also write a report and have a viva with two experts in their research area, who will offer advice and determine whether they are ready to progress to the official status of a DPhil student. This process ensures that students receive support and advice and check that they are on track with their learning and their project.