Cybergenetic control of living cells: a control-based approach to design new therapies University of Bristol in United Kingdom

The project:

Precision oncology promises to develop effective therapies tailored to the genetic profile of specific cancers. To achieve this goal, we still need to overcome drug resistance, which often arises in therapies targeting a single oncogenic driver.

Developing drugs that target a single molecule may not be enough: combination and intermittent therapies, where multiple drugs are provided with an optimized dosing regimen, are necessary to overcome monotherapy-driven resistance, maximize efficacy, and reduce the toxicity of cancer therapies. As the number of candidate drugs increases, computational approaches become essential for designing robust therapies.

In this project, the student will take an interdisciplinary approach to design treatments that can delay or bypass drug resistance in cancer, advancing personalized therapy design.

The plan is to harness the capabilities of three innovative technologies:

i) Microfluidic/microscopy platforms for collecting high-throughput data of cell dynamics under time-varying, programmable, and combinatorial drug perturbations in a fully controllable environment;

ii) Cell cultures and organoids;

iii) CyberGenetics and feedback control, which enable steering cellular endogenous processes (e.g., cell proliferation, gene expression) on demand through automated microfluidics/microscopy platforms and control algorithms.

The student involved in this project will work on either the computational or experimental aspects of this research, depending on their background and interests, and will work in a highly interdisciplinary group at the University of Bristol, led by Professor Lucia Marucci.

Therefore, applications are welcome from students with diverse backgrounds (engineering, computer science, biology/biochemistry).

The student will gain skills in data-driven feedback control, automated microscopy/microfluidic platforms, image analysis, and mammalian cell culturing and manipulation.

Candidate requirements:

Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of a merit at master’s degree level (or international equivalent) in a science, mathematics or engineering discipline. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree.

If English is not your first language, you need to meet this profile level: Profile E

Further information about English language requirements and profile levels .

Contacts:

For questions about the research topic, please contact the project supervisor.

For questions about eligibility and the application process please contact Engineering Postgraduate Research Admissions [email protected]

How to apply:

Prior to submitting an online application, you will need to contact the project supervisor to discuss.

Online applications are made at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply . Please select Engineering Mathematics (PhD) on the Programme Choice page. You will be prompted to enter details of any studentship you would like to be considered for in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form.