MSc by Research: New technologies to monitor assembly of alternative forms of the proteasome

About the Project

The Rousseau lab is interested in decoding how protein degradation by the proteasome is regulated in cells so that accumulation of unfolded, misfolded, or damaged proteins can be cleared before they become deleterious. The proteasome recognises, unfolds, and degrades faulty proteins that have been tagged with ubiquitin to maintain the integrity of the proteome. Defects in the proteasome give rise to various human diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. We recently reported that proteasome assembly and activity is increased upon various stresses to help rewire the proteome and survive (https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/research/principal-investigator/adrien-rousseau). We now study the spatio-temporal regulation of proteasome assembly and activity in health, stress and diseases using both yeast and mammalian systems. This includes assembly of the poorly characterised alternative forms of the proteasome.

The MSc project aims at engineering the proteasome to develop new technologies to rapidly monitor assembly of its alternative forms. This will be instrumental in better understanding the function of alternative forms of the proteasomes and may help understand their involvement in diseases. The project will offer training opportunities in state-of-the-art technologies such as high-resolution confocal microscopy (proteasome dynamics), molecular biology (proteasome and protein degradation assays), and cell engineering (CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing of proteasome genes).

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research. We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.

Please see our website for further details on the programme and how to apply:

Life Sciences MSc by Research MSc by Research (Postgraduate) : Study : University of Dundee

Please note before submitting your application that you must list your top three project choices in the Research Proposal section of the application form.

When you complete your application form, you should include your top 3 project choices, 2 letters of reference, uploaded under "Other Information" > "Supporting documents" and a personal statement. Failure to do so will delay your application.

Please note when submitting an application, please note our intake deadlines on the ‘how to apply’ section of our website