Applications are requested for a cross-disciplinary BBSRC-funded PhD studentship linking research programmes of the Geomicrobiology group led by Prof Jon Lloyd in the School of Earth Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, and the biocatalysis group of the School of Chemistry/MIB led by Prof Nick Turner. The aim of this project is to use a powerful and highly complementary range of techniques to develop an entirely new type of whole cell biocatalyst for commercially important biotransformations. The student will be receive training in core areas required to work at the interface between biology and the physical sciences, including molecular biology, organic chemistry, microbial physiology and nano-scale materials characterization. They will also benefit from access to world-class facilities in the Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science and the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, and close collaboration with the Functional Bionanomaterials group of Prof Lynne Macaskie at the University of Birmingham. This project would suit a student with a strong (2.1 or first class) degree in biological sciences with an interest in molecular biology and biotransformations/microbial biotechnology. For more details please contact Professor Jon Lloyd (jon.lloyd@manchester.ac.uk) or Professor Nick Turner (Nicholas.Turner@manchester.ac.uk).

References
J. R. Lloyd, D. R. Lovley and L. E. Macaskie, Advances in Applied Microbiology, 2003, 53, 85.
J. R. Lloyd, P. Yong and L. E. Macaskie, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1998, 64, 4607.
C. J. Dunsmore, R. Carr, T. Fleming and N. J. Turner, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 2224. R. Carr, M. Alexeeva, M. J.Dawson, V. G. Fernandez, C. E. Humphrey and N. J. Turner, ChemBioChem, 2005, 6, 637.