Tung Le

[Fully funded 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD CASE studentship with Inspiralis Limited. Includes payment of tuition fees, annual stipend (£20,780 for 2025/6), and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year.] This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia, supervised by Professor Tung Le, focuses on deciphering the biology of virus-like Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs) in bacteria. GTAs are unique nanomachines derived from ancestral bacterial viruses, now facilitating horizontal gene transfer and playing a role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The project aims to unravel the lifecycle and domestication of GTAs, providing insights into how new genetic information is integrated into bacterial signalling networks and physiology. The research is timely, leveraging recent advances in the field and the expertise of the Tung Le Lab at the John Innes Centre, a leading institute for plant and microbial research. The student will receive multidisciplinary training in molecular microbiology, fluorescence microscopy, ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, protein-protein interaction studies, and structural biology, gaining highly transferrable skills for diverse career paths. The position is part of the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme (NRPDTP), which offers a vibrant research community, a comprehensive professional development curriculum, and a three-month professional internship placement (PIPS) during the PhD. The studentship includes full payment of tuition fees, a generous annual stipend (£20,780 for 2025/6), and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year. Applicants should have at least a UK 2:1 Honours degree in a relevant biological science and meet English language requirements (IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each category). The start date is 1 October 2026, and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in February 2026. For further details on eligibility and application procedures, visit the NRPDTP website. Informal enquiries are welcome via email to Professor Tung Le.

[4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD studentship. Includes payment of tuition fees, a stipend for living expenses at the 2026/27 rate of £21,805, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year.] PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia on the biology of Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs), virus-like particles that bacteria have domesticated to package and spread DNA. This project addresses a fundamental question in microbiology and bacterial evolution: how horizontally transferred genetic information becomes incorporated into host signalling and physiology. GTAs are also relevant to the spread of antimicrobial resistance and may provide future opportunities for biotechnology and therapeutic engineering. The successful candidate will join the laboratory of Prof. Tung Le in the Department of Molecular Microbiology at the John Innes Centre , a world-class institute for plant and microbial research. The project is multidisciplinary and offers training in molecular microbiology, fluorescence microscopy, omics, protein-protein interaction studies, and structural biology. Funding: 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD DTP studentship. The award covers tuition fees, provides a stipend of £21,805 (2026/27 rate) for living expenses, and includes a £5,000 per year Research Training Support Grant. Eligibility: Open to students from across the biological sciences. Applicants should hold at least a UK-equivalent 2:1 Bachelors (Honours) degree and meet the English language requirement of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each category . Deadline: 30 November 2026. Start date: 1 October 2027. Mode of study: Full-time. Applications should be submitted via the University of East Anglia postgraduate research application page. Informal enquiries are welcome by email to [email protected] .