Harrison Steel
Top university
2 weeks ago
PhD Studentship in Control and Engineering Biology University of Oxford in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Available
Deadline
Dec 2, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Oxford

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About this position
PhD Studentship in Control and Engineering Biology at the University of Oxford
This 3.5-year D.Phil. studentship explores Synthetic Biology for fundamental science and application scale-up. The project sits at the interface of synthetic biology, control engineering, AI, and robotics, with a focus on developing new approaches for designing reliable engineered biosystems and applying them to global biotechnology challenges.
Possible research directions include genetically engineering microbes to change form and function, building theory and AI methods for better biosystem design, and creating robotic measurement and control platforms that automate experimentation and discovery. Extensions may include directed evolution, protein engineering, and biomedical or environmental applications, especially where scale-up is important.
The studentship is integrated with the EPSRC Programme Grant EEBio: Efficient engineering and control of predictable and reliable biotechnologies. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary environment with academic and industrial experts and may collaborate nationally and internationally.
Supervisors: Prof Harrison Steel and Prof Antonis Papachristodoulou.
Funding: For UK students, the award covers home fees and provides a stipend. Course fees are covered at the UK rate (at least £10,940 per year), and the stipend is at least £21,805 per year for the first year and for a further two and a half years. There may be some flexibility for international students, but they are advised to contact the supervisors directly before applying.
Eligibility highlights: Applicants should hold a first-class degree or strong 2:1 in a relevant quantitative, engineering, or bioscience field such as Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, Physics, Biology/Biotechnology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, or Mathematics. Strong English communication skills are required. Useful but not mandatory experience includes microbiology, synthetic biology, AI, control engineering, biological lab work, programming/software engineering, and robotics prototyping.
How to apply: Submit a graduate application through the University of Oxford admissions portal and quote reference 27ENGCO_HS. Informal enquiries can be directed to [email protected] and [email protected].
Deadline: noon on Tuesday 2 December 2026. Start date: October 2027.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should have a first-class degree or strong 2:1 in Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, Physics, Biology/Biotechnology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, or Mathematics. Excellent written and spoken English is required. Desirable experience includes microbiology, bacteriology, synthetic biology, applied mathematics, computer science/AI, control engineering, biological laboratory skills, programming/software engineering, and electrical engineering or robotics prototyping. Candidates are expected to meet the University of Oxford graduate admissions criteria.
How to apply
Submit a graduate application through the University of Oxford application portal using the Apply button. Include the reference 27ENGCO_HS in all correspondence and in your graduate application. Informal enquiries may be sent to Harrison Steel and Antonis Papachristodoulou by email.
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