Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are an exciting new form of soft-solid that combines the orientational order of a liquid crystal with the large strain elasticity of a rubber. More precisely, they are rubber-like solids constructed from rigid molecular rods, which spontaneously align within the elastomer along a common direction. On heating or illumination, the alignment is disrupted, causing the LCE to spontaneous contraction by a large factor (>50%). Thus LCEs are soft solids that contract on demand: an enticing analogue of a biological muscle.
Applications are invited for PhD studentships based at the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories (IMS-MRL) and its embedded MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, a cross-departmental research institute on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
At the IMS, we aim to develop and train the next generation of scientists with the knowledge and skills to make real advances in understanding the fundamental mechanisms through which metabolic health is maintained and how it is disturbed in obesity and related metabolic and endocrine diseases.
Brain Computer Interfaces are an emerging technology that will revolutionise neuroscience and medicine. A central obstacle in this field is understanding how neural activity evolves over time as animals and humans learn and adapt. This is a collaborative project between theorists and experimentalists to develop and provide proof of principle of robust, reliable neural decoding algorithms and a deeper understanding of neural data. The project will build on ongoing collaborative work between groups in Cambridge and Harvard Medical School, with opportunities to develop new collaborations.
Sponsor: supported by BP through an EPSRC Industrial CASE award. 'Home rate' students
Supervisors: Dr Enrique Galindo-Nava and Professor Manish Chhowalla
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Closes:
Thursday, 3 December, 2020
The Ahnert research group at CEB uses computational and theoretical methods to study the structural and functional complexity of biological systems with a particular focus on genotype-phenotype maps, self-assembly, protein structure, and networks. The group also collaborates closely with experimentalists. Please see the group website at: https://www.ceb.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-sebastian-ahnert
Applications are invited for a four-year PhD programme through the generous support of AstraZeneca. The Department of Biochemistry is especially strong in research with investigators of international standing in a wide range of disciplines including structural biology, molecular enzymology, cell signalling and control of gene expression, molecular microbiology, plant molecular biology and bioenergy, cancer and cardiovascular biology.
This is a four-year (1+3 MRes/PhD) studentship funded through the Cambridge EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Resilience in a Changing World (FIBE2 CDT). The FIBE2 CDT aims to develop the next generation of infrastructure professionals who can create, shape and deliver the national vision for UK infrastructure, who will be equipped with a versatile and cross-disciplinary skill set to meet the most complex emerging challenges and contribute effectively to better infrastructure decision-making in the UK. Further details can be found at
Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
Closes:
Thursday, 7 January, 2021
The University of Cambridge is exceptional in the depth and diversity of its research in Stem Cell Biology and has a dynamic and interactive research community that is ranked amongst the foremost in the world. Applications are now being accepted for places on the Wellcome Four-Year PhD Programme in Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, to commence in October 2021. Applicants are welcomed from any country, culture, socio-economic background or university and should demonstrate both a passion for scientific research and a desire to learn about Stem Cell Biology.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance. The student must complete the programme in this timeframe.
Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship in Dr Alpha Lee's group (aal44@cam.ac.uk) on molecular design and understanding chemical reactivity by combining physics with machine learning. The studentship has funding in place for a UK student, though interested non-UK students are encouraged to contact Dr Lee as there are alternative sources of funding available.
