ChEMBL

The Chemogenomics (ChEMBL) group at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom, has an opening for a PhD position. The EMBL-EBI is one of four outstations of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and is a great place to do research in biology, chemistry, and the interface with drug discovery. The EMBL is a unique environment for such interdisciplinary research, in a highly multi-cultural and international setting.

The ChEMBL group does research in target discovery and selection, lead discovery and optimisation and explores the role of genomics techniques in drug discovery, as such studies will involve large-scale data analysis, computing and programming, machine learning, protein structure and modelling, and broad coverage of drug discovery strategies. The successful candidate is free to choose from a range of topics (see below) or suggest ideas for their own project.

Applications need to be submitted by 15 July 2009 through the EMBL PhD programme and ideally the candidate should clearly indicate that they have a preference to work with us here at the EMBL-EBI. We would also consider favorably applicants from non-traditional academic backgrounds (re-training, career-swtiching, etc.)

Here are a few suggestions for potential projects (click here for some more details on some of these).

1. Non-human Secreted Proteins as New Therapies.
2. Monoclonal Antibody Drug ‘Rescue’.
3. Automated Drug Design (‘Robot-Chemist’).
4. Drug Design Strategies for Robustness to Acquired Resistance.
5. Drug and Target Annotation of Novel Genomes.

There is also studentships available within the excellent Steinbeck group at the EMBL-EBI (and I greatly thank Christoph for prompting me to place this posting in the ChEMBL blog, and also apologise for my shameless lifting of his text ;) )