Academic Supervisor: Martin Turner

Industrial Partner: Storm Therapeutics

The Babraham Research Campus (BRC) is pleased to announce that it has available a number of studentships from its BBSRC Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) Award to start in October 2025, with each studentship awarded up to 4 years. The BRC CTP is a joint partnership between the Babraham Institute, the BBSRC and BRC and a range of innovative tenant companies on the Campus working in the Bioscience for Health BBSRC priority area. The goals of the BRC CTP are (i) to train excellent PhD students in the advancing frontiers of bioscience discovery providing them with a range of scientific and transferable skills; (ii) to give them ‘real-world’ experience of working in the commercial bioscience sector through their respective collaborations and (iii) thereby train the next generation of researchers, skilled in modern techniques, critical thinking and business skills. The distinct features and location of the BRC will provide students with access to real-world examples of translational activity, innovation and entrepreneurship and will lead to future careers in academia, industry and science-based tech transfer and commercialisation.

The Babraham Institute is a world-leader in fundamental biological research investigating the systems that underpin development and healthy ageing. It is a recognised postgraduate University Partner Institute of the University of Cambridge. This BRC CTP Studentship, starting October 2025, will be in the laboratory of Dr Martin Turner Martin Turner » Babraham Institute . This studentship is awarded for 4 years.

Details of our interactive scientific programmes can be found on www.babraham.ac.uk . As a student at the Institute, you will have access to all of our outstanding science facilities , each one providing specialist equipment and expertise to support key research techniques and technologies.

Project Details

Immunotherapies are one of the fastest evolving therapeutic modalities with significant new interventions and applications being reported every year. Our research seeks to understand the fundamental molecular mechanisms which enhance immunotherapy for cancer.

All stages of gene expression from transcription to RNA degradation are regulated by RNA binding proteins. These determine the lifespan and localisation of RNA and by regulating translation how much protein is produced. Our project will study the mechanism of action of specific RNA binding proteins that we have found to limit the ability of T cells to kill tumours. This project is a synergy between the Turner lab and Storm therapeutics that brings together an Industrial partner with world leading expertise in RNA chemistry and small molecule approaches with an immunology laboratory that has pioneered the study of RNA binding proteins in lymphocyte biology. The project will combine cellular and molecular biology; bioinformatics; small molecule approaches; and the use of in vivo models of immune responses to identify mechanism to enhance immune responses.

Keywords: Immunotherapy, Cancer, RNA, Molecular biology