Design, construction and testing of recombinant protein production systems for industrial biotechnology applications.

About the Project

Details of the Project

The production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals, e.g., antibody fragments and growth hormones, is a billion-dollar industry, with many therapeutic proteins being expressed in the bacterium Escherichia coli [1]. Most of the E. coli expression systems used for recombinant protein production (RPP) were constructed in the last century and many of them require an inducer molecule, such as IPTG (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside), to switch on expression of the target protein [1]. However, such inducer molecules can be toxic to the cell, unstable and are extremely expensive, with IPTG exceeding £52000 per kg. To reduce the cost of RPP, we have used synthetic biology to engineer completely new E. coli RPP expression systems, which use cheap and freely available inducer molecules, such as nitrate and urea [2,3]. This was achieved by using different transcription factors to control the expression of industrially relevant targets protein. Thus, using our systems, we were able to show that proteins, such as human growth hormone (hGH), could be expressed to comparable levels seen with standard RPP systems. As many of our inducer molecules are freely available, this innovation demonstrated that controlled, high level RPP can be easily achieved using unconventional inducers (e.g., garden fertilizers and even urine!), drastically cutting the cost of RPP in areas of the world where infrastructure and resources are limited.

As the genomes of bacteria, such as E. coli, contain a multitude of transcription factors that respond to different environmental signals the goal of this project will be to design, construct, and test new recombinant protein production systems, that utilise and respond to cheap and freely available inducer molecules. This project will provide extensive training in many essential molecular biology, biochemical and biotechnology related techniques.

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees. Currently the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. As part of the application, you will be required to confirm that you will provide this additional funding. Please indicate this on the application form in the funding section. This project has associated consumables costs which should be discussed with the supervisor in the first instance and before applying. The supervisor can be contacted at d.browning@aston.ac.uk. When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.

Location

This position will be based on the Aston Campus in Birmingham, UK. The successful candidate will need to be located within a reasonable distance of the campus, and will be expected to visit in person regularly.

Person Specification

Candidates should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, EITHER:

a] a First or Upper Second Class award in their undergraduate degree, in a relevant subject.

OR

b] a First or Upper Second Class award in their undergraduate degree, and a Merit or Distinction in a Masters degree, both in a relevant subject.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be considered, but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact Dr Douglas Browning at d.browning@aston.ac.uk

Submitting an application

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected.Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. A Curriculum Vitae (Resume) which details your education and work history.
5. Two academic refereeswho can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
6. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
7. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Interviews

Interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted directly with details of the interview.

Apply for this position here

Please select “Research - Health Sciences” from the application form options.

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This project covers the Home tuition fees. Candidates who do not have Home status will be responsible for the difference in tuition fees. Currently the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. This project has associated consumables costs which should be discussed with the supervisor in the first instance and before applying. The supervisor can be contacted at d.browning@aston.ac.uk. When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.