oxford university biotechnology phd

The Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP is an inclusive and innovative four-year graduate training programme, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UKRI-BBSRC). It aims to equip a new generation of researchers with the skills, insight and knowledge needed to tackle the most important challenges in bioscience research.

The programme is led by the University of Oxford, in partnership with eight world-class research organisations: The Pirbright Institute, Oxford Brookes University, Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC Central Laser Facility, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Research Complex at Harwell and the Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford (NNRCO).

The course admits students who wish to conduct fundamental and applied bioscience research. Students from a diverse range of backgrounds are encouraged to apply including students with degrees in the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Computational and Mathematical Sciences.

Research areas include: Integrative Plant and Animal Biology, Mechanistic Molecular and Cellular Bioscience, Transformative Technologies, Bioscience for Health, Animal Health and Welfare, Crop Science, Industrial Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals.

Prospective students are invited to join us for our Open Day  on Wednesday November 8th 2023.

Mission Statement

Our Mission We aim to deliver training that will enable a new generation of researchers to drive forward the frontiers of bioscience, and to translate this research into high-impact applications.

Our Vision We aspire to be a world-leading partnership that inspires, enables and supports both staff and students to achieve their full potential in order to enrich scientific knowledge, tackle global and industrial challenges, and benefit the wider community. We are distinctive for our world-class research and facilities and our collaborative, interdisciplinary training approach.

Our values We aim to create a community that is innovative, inclusive and collaborative, in which everyone feels valued, respected, and supported.

Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Discovering, developing, producing and marketing products that improve and save lives are all parts of working in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The chance to work with cutting edge technology in companies leading global research, and be well remunerated too, makes these industries appealing.

The pharmaceuticals (pharma) industry is reliant on multi-disciplinary, cutting-edge research to produce unique, innovative products, and on large teams of sales people backed up by sophisticated marketing skills. The British pharma industry has a strong reputation for research and development (R&D) of the very highest quality and there are major clusters of pharmaceutical companies in the north-east, north-west, south-east and east of England, and a significant number in Scotland. The industry recruits graduates for a wide range of functions (both science and non-science areas) and employs just under 70,000 people in the UK, of whom around 27,000 are directly involved in R&D. The industry is one of Britain’s leading manufacturing sectors and many international companies have established highly-regarded research laboratories here. However, there are huge pressures on the industry and developing new drugs is particularly difficult as any obvious ones have already been made. Furthermore, patents usually last 20 years, after which any company can produce a far cheaper generic version of a drug. The cost of producing new medicines is so colossal that one failure can have devastating consequences for a company.

The biotechnology (biotech) industry is a newer sector. Biotechnology is the application of biological systems to solve problems, improve processes and develop and manufacture products. Biotech companies exist in a number of industrial sectors, which include: biomedical, food and agriculture, and environmental. The UK leads Europe in the industrial development of biotechnology and during the past decade there has been rapid and sustained growth in the number of specialist biotechnology R&D-based companies. Indeed, since 2016 there has been a 65% increase in the number of UK biotechs (Pharmafocus, April 2019), which has been fuelled by record investment levels. Currently there are just over 3,400 UK biotechs and London hosts the highest number (nearly a quarter), followed by Cambridge and then Oxford. Depending on their size, biotech companies may use support companies, to whom they contract out some aspects of their work, such as the development or marketing of their products.

Types of Job

Within the pharma industry there are a range of scientific and non-scientific jobs available, while in the biotech industry the majority of vacancies for graduates are in scientific research, working for small/medium-sized employers (SMEs), perhaps at science parks. The  Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry careers website  has over 100 case studies  of different roles within this sector.

R&D roles overall have the largest demand for graduates. The organic chemist synthesises molecules which may have the desired properties; the physical chemist establishes the shape of the molecule; the biochemist investigates the metabolism of the compound; the pharmacologist examines its effect in vivo; and, if all is well, the pharmacist decides on formulation, while the medical staff are arranging hospital trials and the statisticians are looking for possible irregularities.

Well-qualified scientists, often with a DPhil, are hired as specialists and initiators to become leaders of groups or managers of research in the future. Increasingly it is useful for applicants to have gained relevant, industry-based work experience during their studies.  This enables them to demonstrate to potential employers that they have practical insights into the differences between academic and industrial research in terms of culture and focus. In this area more than any other, a DPhil scientist will be recruited for his or her specific scientific skills rather than as a well-trained scientific generalist. Those recruiting you as the potential leader of a R&D group will be looking not only for specialist skills but also for signs of leadership skills and the ability to motivate a team of staff reporting to you.

The first-degree scientist, however, should be sure that they are in R&D for one of two reasons: either because work in a laboratory is overwhelmingly attractive, and likely to remain so; or because research, and more particularly development, constitutes a good entry point to the industry in which they want to work and within the company there are good prospects of moving on or moving to another function. Graduates can in theory progress in R&D, but they will need to show exceptional talent for research and a strong willingness to develop.

See also our information on  Scientific Research & Development .

Science Roles Outside the Lab

There are plenty of roles/functions for scientists who are keen to use their scientific background outside the lab. These include  Patents , Registration, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Trials/Research , Medical Writing and Bioinformatics to name a few. See the ABPI case studies for more information. The Careers Service regularly hosts a panel talk on Careers Outside the Lab (most commonly during Michaelmas Term) which gives you the opportunity to hear first hand from scientists working in these sorts of roles. 

Clinical Studies/Research

Clinical research is an essential part of the R&D process and all new medicines are thoroughly tested through a series of clinical trials to ensure they are safe and effective for patients.   Clinical trials  are carried out in three phases which must all be completed before an application can be made to market a new medicine, and there are a variety of different roles for both scientists and clinicians.

Marketing is a demanding role. Preparations for the launch of a new product can begin at least three or four years beforehand. A good deal of market research is needed, marketing and promotional strategies have to be worked out, sales training materials written, symposia arranged for doctors, formulation and distribution arranged for different areas, pricing policies settled, and an outline of manufacturing details fixed. Many eminent companies in the field deliberately seek out Arts graduates for marketing positions, looking for creative flair and believing that the basic science can readily be picked up by a graduate with good intellectual ability.

See our information on Marketing.

Sales are encouraged and supported by medical reps, who are often pharmacists or life scientists, but, increasingly, graduates from any degree discipline. They call on doctors, hospital pharmacists and retail pharmacies to explain the advantages and method of use of their drugs, and to leave literature or some other reminder of their visit. Their role is to persuade professionals to prescribe their products, and to develop relationships for repeat business.

Other roles

Personnel, Finance and Management Services (especially IT/data science) roles are also options within these industries as they have a broad range of management functions. These are often open to graduates from a wide range of disciplines. See our relevant  sector webpages  for information.

Getting Experience

For jobs in the pharma and biotech industries prior work experience is useful, not only for developing skills but also for raising your commercial/industrial awareness. Industrial employers are keen to employ people who understand the business, and certainly a criticism from some employers has been that DPhils (and indeed postdoctoral researchers) often lack commercial awareness. Work collaborations, placements, or work-shadowing whilst studying or during a postdoc can be ways of overcoming this lack of awareness. Some of the larger firms may offer internships, but it will often be necessary to make speculative applications and network to find relevant contacts to approach in smaller firms.

Those who envisage a career in R&D and are intent on obtaining a doctorate are advised by many pharma companies to make contact towards the end of their first degree, and maintain contact throughout their DPhil, so as to develop knowledge of what employers are looking for.

Insight into Pharma/Biotech  is an online webinar run by the Careers Service in which a panel of scientists from a local pharma/biotech company talk about their work in both in R&D and science roles outside the lab. For the academic year 2023/24 it is taking place in Michaelmas Term: check the Events calendar on  CareerConnect  in advance.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ABPI, has a  careers section on their website which provides a list of pharma recruiters with work experience opportunities.

Also look out for events run by the  Oxford University Pharmacology Society and the  Oxford University Biochemical Society  where there may be opportunities to meet people working in the industry.

If you do arrange work experience, there is often confusion about whether you should be paid to do an internship or work experience. It will depend on your arrangement with the employer and also the status of the employer. To find out if you are entitled to be paid when undertaking work experience or an internship, visit the  Government’s webpages on the National Minimum Wage .

Getting a Job

A number of larger companies do recruit graduate trainees for all roles through the graduate recruitment cycle, but for most R&D vacancies requiring specialist postgraduate skills the relevant scientific magazines and websites, such as  New Scientist , are the places to look. Attend the annual  Science, Engineering and Technology Fair  in Michaelmas Term where there will be a range of scientific companies – see our events on  CareerConnect  for more details. If you are interested in working in Oxfordshire then see our webpage on  Finding Work in Oxford  which has information on local science parks. Some University departments and societies may also have strong links to local companies, so keep your eye out for other specific recruitment activities.

Also look at the  ABPI’s directory of pharmaceutical recruiters  which lists pharma companies with job vacancies, and refer to the UK life sciences membership associations, some of which publicise vacancies and / or list details of life science companies which you could approach  speculatively  about job vacancies.  Oxford Science Enterprises  supports local companies as they grow, including a job board used by growing firms with science and technology based businesses.

If you have a postgraduate degree, target specific companies most appropriate to your discipline. The ABPI produces an A-Z of British Medicines Research which identifies research area by company and is available online. Local science parks may be a good source of small companies: the  UK Science Parks Association  will help you locate these. The  Royal Society of Chemistry  has a job search section on its website which may also be helpful. Some companies may also make use of the services of specialist scientific recruitment agencies – details of some of these are given in the Useful Websites section below, along with other relevant life science organisations.

Turnover in sales functions is high; there are usually many vacancies and much recruiting is done through specialist agencies which frequently advertise in relevant magazines and websites, such as New Scientist. However, many major drugs firms recruit directly into sales and use agencies in the autumn to top up the vacancies they have not been able to fill directly. Sales could be the way into marketing and other non-scientific managerial functions and you can expect intensive, frequent, high-quality training.

• New Scientist

Sector vacancies and occupation information

• Diversity in Research Jobs
• Pharmafield
• Cranleigh Scientific
• Entrust Resource Solutions
• Jobs in Pharma
• Jobs in Science
• LinkedIn Jobs
• New Scientist Jobs  – careers articles and jobs.
• Science: Science Careers   – careers website aimed at postgraduate scientists.
• Royal Society of Chemistry   – careers information, links and Chemistry World vacancies.
• OBN  – directory of local companies plus news and jobs.
• Pharmiweb  – vacancies, links to employers, news.
• Scientific Professionals  – science vacancies.
• Clinical Professionals  – vacancies in clinical research, regulatory, business and medical communications
• Science Oxford  – information on Oxford’s hi-tech community.
• Oxford Science Enterprises  – supports science-led businesses in the Oxford area and has a job board.
• Connected Oxford  –  local vacancies and business news, including the pharma/biotech sector.
• Bio Now  – supports biomedical and life science sectors across Northern England.

Societies, organisations and news

• Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
• ABPI careers website
• ABPI Bridging the skills gap in the biopharmaceutical industry (2019)
• Association for Clinical Data Management
• Academy of Medical Sciences
• BioIndustry Association
• Biochemical Society
• Royal Society of Biology
• British Pharmacological Society
• The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs
• Institute of Clinical Research
• UK Clinical Research Collaboration
• Institute of Biomedical Science
• Royal Society of Chemistry
• UK Science Parks Association
• Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy  – biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sector information in the publications section of this government website.
• Office for Life Sciences
• Life Sciences Organisation
• European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
• International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations
• American Chemical Society
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Recruiters are keen to have a diverse workforce, and many will have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting students and graduates from diverse backgrounds. An increasing number of recruiters are offering traineeships, internships and insight events that are aimed at specific groups and many are being recognised for their approach to being inclusive employers.

Try the following to discover more about the policies and attitudes of the recruiters that you are interested in:

• Read their equality, diversity and inclusion policy
• Search their website to see if they have any specific staff networks
• Look for external accreditation such as whether they are a  Disability Confident employer , a  Stonewall Diversity Champion  or part of the  Mindful Employer charter promoting mental health at work
• Check to see if they are partnering with organisations such as Rare Recruitment , SEO London , MyPlus Students' Club , EmployAbility or one of the many other organisations that are working for specific communities
• Explore what they do to celebrate diversity on their Facebook and Twitter pages  

Black Pharma is a social enterprise whose vision is to see greater representation of black professionals across the pharmaceutical industry. They provide support for students and graduates through career programmes and events.  

The UK Equality Act 2010 has a number of protected characteristics to prevent discrimination due to your age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation. For further information on the Equality Act 2010 and to find out where and how you are protected, and what to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s webpage on the Equality Act and the Government’s webpages on discrimination .

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• Research Students: DPhil and MSc (Res)

We are one of the top pre-clinical departments in the country with excellent research and teaching facilities and a large and vibrant community of graduate students.

We have around 40 DPhil students and 20 MSc taught course students at any one time who enjoy outstanding facilities. You will also benefit from having close proximity to colleges, libraries and other facilities in the University Science Area.

Thanks to the breadth of research we carry out in the department, we offer projects over a very wide range of topics from calcium signalling to cardiovascular and neuropharmacology. In addition, we provide research opportunities for a range of multi-disciplinary DPhil programmes including biomedical sciences, ion channels and disease, and neuroscience.

On our DPhil programmes, your research will be carried out at Oxford under the supervision of a member of academic staff. You will work in their research group on a project at the forefront of the subject, and at the end of your time with us you will produce a doctoral thesis that represents a significant advance in the field. You will become the world expert in your research area, and you will have demonstrated that you are an original and creative thinker capable of independent scientific work at a very high level.

There are a variety of graduate student research programmes that are hosted in the Department of Pharmacology, as follows:

• DPhil in Pharmacology
• MSc by Research in Pharmacology
• DPhil in Cardiovascular Sciences
• DPhil in Ion Channels and Disease (OXION)
• Oxford BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Interdisciplinary Bioscience
• 1+3 Doctoral Programme in Neuroscience

Information on funding

Criteria for candidates applying for Medical Sciences Graduate School Studentships

For guidance on funding see:  https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/graduateschool/application-process/funding

For further information, please the University of Oxford  Graduate Studies  page or email  [email protected] . 

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We’re focused on the future of humanity, making connections and discoveries that will improve health and quality of life for people everywhere

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The next Undergraduate Open Days will take place during summer 2024. For more details see  Undergraduate open days

Looking for a studentship please see our  latest studentship additions.

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• Subject Areas

Bioinformatics, Statistics and Computational Biology

Oxford has particular strengths in bioinformatics and statistical genetics in the Department of Statistics and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics , which is part of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine .

Groups in these departments have developed many of the methods now used worldwide in genetic association studies in humans and rodent models and in high-throughput DNA sequence analysis. DNA and protein sequence analysis and functional annotation is concentrated in the Department of Statistics and the MRC Functional Genomics Unit . There is a strong tradition of protein structure analysis in several groups in Oxford, notably in the Structural Biology Division of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and the Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry Unit in the Department of Biochemistry .

An exciting new development is the Big Data Institute ,  a centre of excellence for the analysis of large and complex data sets for health research aiming to develop, evaluate and apply methods to identify associations between lifestyle exposures, genetic variants, infections and health outcomes.

Researchers in Oxford form part of the MRC Centre for Genomics and Global Health , an international collaboration that integrates genomic and population genetic data with clinical and epidemiological data to understand and combat globally important infectious diseases.

The  Deep Medicine Programme  of the Oxford Martin School at  The George Institute for Global Health  applies established and novel techniques in data mining, machine learning and deep learning to complex biomedical datasets to generate insights into complex disease patterns, risk trajectories and treatment effects.

The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences also has one of the strongest statistical groups in the UK (across all clinical areas) with a particular emphasis on monitoring.

There are many potential researchers in this theme that are not listed here because they are not in the Medical Sciences Division. They can be found in the  Departments of Statistics ,  Mathematics , Computer Science , Plant Sciences , and Zoology . Many of these supervisors are associated with relevant Structured DPhil Programmes  including Genomic Medicine and Statistics .

Supervisors in Bioinformatics, Statistics and Computational Biology

David Aanensen

Director of The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance

Genes, Genetics, Epigenetics and Genomics

Aziz Aboobaker

Professor of Comparative and Functional Genomics,Tutorial Fellow, and Dean of ...

Functional genomics

Gene expression, epigenetics, developmental biology and stem cells, cell fate specification and differentiation, multipotent stem cells, cellular mechanisms (including tumour microenvironment, angiogenesis and metastasis), molecular mechanisms (including dna damage and repair), radiation biology.

Ageing, Geratology and Degenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, neuroscience, structural biology, microbiology, infection and tropical medicine, molecular, cell, systems and structural biology.

Agne Antanaviciute

Computational Biologist

Daniel C Anthony

Professor of Experimental Neuropathology

Innate immunity and inflammation

Functional brain imaging, translational medicine and medical technology, motor neuron disease, diagnostics, dna and protein sequence analysis, cellular and molecular neuroscience, cell biology and microscopy.

Rachael Bashford-Rogers

Cancer diagnostics (biomarkers and imaging), cancer therapeutics (including biologicals) and vaccines, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, molecular & statistical genetics & translational genomics, gastroenterology and hepatology, inflammation-driven cancer, mucosal immunity, genomics and statistical genetics, genetic disorders and therapies, haematology, leukaemia and lymphoma, lineage commitment and differentiation in haematopoiesis, immunodeficiency, hiv and aids, mucosal immunology and inflammatory bowel disease, epidemiology and population dynamics, host-pathogen interactions, systems biology, ophthalmology, visual and circadian sciences, ophthalmology, antibody and protein therapy, biomedical engineering, drug discovery and pharmacology, immunology of reproduction.

Esther Becker

Professor of Translational Neuroscience

Cell commitment

Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotency, organogenesis, biochemistry and chemical biology, membranes, membrane proteins, ion channels and transporters, signal transduction, structural biology, protein science and proteomics, clinical neuroscience, genes and developmental neuroscience, psychology, mental health and psychiatry, systems, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry, abnormal psychology and mental health, language development, stem cells and cell therapy.

David Bennett

Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology

Statistical genetics

Professor of Biochemistry

Bacteriology

Daniele Biasci

Group Leader (Innovation Investigator track) in A-TAP Data Science

Adaptive immunity and autoimmune disease

Inflammatory bowel disease, mathematical modeling.

Phil Biggin

Professor of Computational Biochemistry

Rafal Bogacz

Professor of Computational Neuroscience

Computational modelling

Chas bountra.

Neil Brockdorff

Professor of Biochemistry and Wellcome Principle Research Fellow

Chromosomal biology

Imaging development, chromosomal biology.

Marella de Bruijn

Professor of Developmental Haematopoiesis

Randy Bruno

Professor of Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience

Experimental psychology.

Martin Burton

Joint Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane ENT Disorders Group

Nanomedicine

Surgical science and practice, evidence-based health care, clinical trials methodology and epidemiology, clinical trials and epidemiology, medical statistics.

Zameel Cader

Director of the Oxford Headache Centre and Director of StemBANCC

Circadian sciences and sleep

Alfredo Castello Palomares

Posttranscriptional networks in infection

Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology

Professor of Immunology

Inflammatory joint diseases

Gary Collins

Professor of Medical Statistics and Director of CSM

Primary Care, Clinical Epidemiology, and Health Care Delivery

Design of patient pathways and clinical support systems, population, global, and public health, clinical trials methodology, evidence-based health care, health services research, medical statistics, musculoskeletal science.

Richard Cornall

Rui Ponte Costa

Group Leader

Kevin Coward

Associate Professor and Director of the MSc in Clinical Embryology

Reproductive, Genitourinary and Sexual Medicine

Sperm, oocytes and embryos.

Sarah Darby

Professor of Medical Statistics

Cardiovascular Sciences

Clinical trials, epidemiology & clinical trials, epidemiology and population genetics, health promotion, epidemiology.

Simon Davis

Professor of Molecular Immunology

Nick PJ Day

Antonella Delmestri

Lead Health Data Scientist

Global health

Aiden Doherty

Professor of Biomedical Informatics

Ana Domingos

Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome

Integrative physiology.

Peter Donnelly

Gwenaëlle Douaud

Associate Professor

Alzheimer's disease

Parkinson's disease.

Benoit Duchet

James Dunford

Senior Research Associate

Cellular and molecular biology in musculoskeletal systems

Structural biology and proteomics, surgical & pharmacological treatment & pain management.

Omer Dushek

Professor of Molecular Immunology, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow

Terry Dwyer

Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Women’s & ...

Paul Elliott

MRC Career Development Fellow

Fumiko Esashi

Dna replication and repair, gene therapy, robert m esnouf.

Gwyndaf Evans

Principal Beamline Scientist

Professor of Infectious Diseases

Ben Fairfax

Consultant in Medical Oncology

Kevin Foster

Professor of Evolutionary Biology

Anti-microbial drugs

Christophe Fraser

Marco Fritzsche

Professor of Biophysical Immunology (Innovation Investigator Track)

Dominic Furniss

Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Health economics

Genetics and epigenetics.

Ian Gibbs-Seymour

CRUK Career Development Fellow

Robert Gilbert

Opher Gileadi

Stephen Goodwin

Professor of Neurogenetics

Jonathan Grimes

Natalia Gromak

Stephanie Halford

Senior Research Scientist

Visual sciences

Maria Harkiolaki

Bass Hassan

Endocrine action in cancer and endocrine tumors, musculoskeletal oncology.

Will Herrington

Professor of Trials and Epidemiology of Kidney Disease, Renal Studies Group

Matthew Higgins

Professor of Molecular Parisitology

Parasitology

Adrian Hill

Lakshmi Mittal and Family Professorship of Vaccinology

Chris Hinds

Senior Research Fellow

Deirdre Hollingsworth

Georg Holländer

Hoffmann and Action Medical Research Professor of Developmental Medicine

Paediatrics

Transplantation and tolerance.

Chris Holmes

Sarah Howles

Clinical Research Fellow

Professor of Gene Regulation

Georgia Isom

Astrid Iversen

Professor of Virology and Immunology

Viral and autoimmune liver disease

Aarti Jagannath

Saad Jbabdi

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

E. Yvonne Jones

Luke Jostins

Sir Henry Dale Fellow

Fredrik Karpe

Professor of Metabolic Medicine

Dominic Kelly

BRC Consultant in Paediatrics and Vaccinology.

Benedikt Kessler

Syma Khalid

Colin Kleanthous

Iveagh Professor of Microbial Biochemistry

Professor of Genetics

Julian C Knight

Samantha jl knight.

Benoit Kornmann

Associate Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry

Dominic Kwiatkowski

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology

Trudie Lang

Clinton Lau

Wellcome CDA Research Fellow

Michael Lay

Head of Project Information Science

Cecilia Lindgren

KTRR Senior Research Fellow in Data Science

Martin Maiden

Jonathan Marchini

Brian marsden.

Kim Midwood

Professor of Matrix Biology

Karla Miller

Thomas Milne

Professor of Haematology

Robin A Murphy

Professor of Experimental Psychology

Applied psychology

Developmental psychology, psychophysics.

Simon Myers

Christoffer Nellåker

MRC Methodology Research Fellow

Chris O'Callaghan

Jill O'Reilly

Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology

Udo Oppermann

Professor of Molecular Biology

Endometriosis

Allen Orville

Group Leader, XFEL Hub

Catherine Pears

Pharmacology, axis patterning.

Stuart Peirson

Professor of Circadian Neuroscience

Sir Andrew Pollard

Ashall Professor of Infection & Immunity

Daniel Prieto-Alhambra

Professor of Pharmaco- and Device Epidemiology

Orthopaedic & biomedical engineering

Primary care and general practice, musculoskeletal ageing, oliver pybus.

Professor of Evolution & Infectious Disease

Jordan Raff

Kazem Rahimi

Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Population Health

Monitoring Chronic Disease

Telemedicine and telecare, vascular disease.

Dr Nilufer Rahmioglu

Group Leader, Soft Condensed Matter Village

Christina Redfield

Professor of Molecular Biophysics

Peter Robbins

Professor of Physiology

Myocardial biology & energetics

Respiratory sciences.

Anthony Roberts

Irene Roberts

Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Haematopoietic stem cells

Anindita Roy

Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Epigenetics in haematopoiesis

Stephen Sansom

Peter Sarkies

Michael Maia Schlussel

Senior Medical Statistician

Maternal health

Benjamin schuster-böckler.

Elena Seiradake

Associate Professor & Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow

Glycobiology

Peter Simmonds

Professor of Virology

Associate Professor of Computational Genomics

Stephen Smith

Shankar Srinivas

Professor of Developmental Biology

Cardiac development

Simon Stringer

Departmental Lecturer

David Stuart

Christopher Summerfield

Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience

Pawel Swietach

Electrophysiology.

Francis Szele

Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

Jenny Taylor

Alain Townsend

Emeritus Professor of Molecular Immunology

Irina Udalova

Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Group Head / PI and Hon Consultant ...

Stephan Uphoff

Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow

Lidia Vasilieva

Associate professor, group leader

Frank von Delft

Paresh Vyas

Sarah walker.

Martin Walsh

Deputy Director of Life Sciences

Robin Walters

Senior Scientist

David Wedge

Professor of Modelling and Epidemiology

Linda Wicker

Suzannah Williams

Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow

Clive Wilson

Professor of Cell and Developmental Genetics

Microvesicles and exosomes in pregnancy

Daniel Wilson

Matthew Wood

Stem cell biology and tissue engineering.

Dan Woodcock

Group Leader in Translational Data Science

Alison Woollard

Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellow

Christopher Yau

Professor of Artificial Intelligence

Gynaecological cancer

Patient safety

Nicole Zitzmann

Professor of Virology & Director of Glycobiology Inst

Krina Zondervan

Head of Department, Professor of Reproductive & Genomic Epidemiology, ...

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Softbio theory seminar: liquid hopfield model - retrieval and localization in heterogeneous liquid mixtures, latest news.

Professor Yeomans appointed OBE

Professor Nynke Dekker joins University of Oxford

The physics of antimicrobial resistance

Biologically inspired physics is an extraordinarily wide field, covering the behaviour of systems from single-molecule machines to organisms, ecosystems and evolution. We use the tools of physics to address biological problems and we use biology to create new tools of physics. Our work at the interface between disciplines impacts medicine and healthcare as well as the biological and physical sciences and industry.  

Most of our experimental biophysics research is located in the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Research in a state-of-the-art new building completed in 2021 and dedicated to high-risk, high-reward research ‘to catalyse discovery by bringing the physical sciences into the cell’. The institute provides shared infrastructure and brings together collaborating groups from across physical and life sciences in Oxford.

Biomolecular motors and machines

Rotary molecular motors are essential agents of movement and energy transduction in living organisms and our biophysics of molecular motors group , led by Richard Berry , focuses in particular on the bacterial flagellar motor and F1FO ATP synthase. The group uses novel forms of light microscopy to understand how these complex machines work and how they are built, maintained and controlled in living cells.

Gene expression is the vital path that converts DNA information into functional proteins, RNA machines and a wide variety of signals. Our gene machines group   is led by Achillefs Kapanidis and studies mechanisms and machines of gene expression of microbial pathogens using single-molecule biophysical methods and biochemistry. The group also develops single-molecule fluorescence methods and assays for pathogens such as viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The copying or replication of DNA is one of the central processes in all living organisms. In the Nynke Dekker lab, we aim to understand the molecular processes underlying DNA and RNA replication and to gain spatiotemporal insight into their dynamics. We use cutting-edge single-molecule biophysical tools, such as fluorescence and force spectroscopy, which provide a complementary approach to bulk biochemistry and address relevant questions about replication dynamics that cannot be addressed otherwise. Our current focus is on eukaryotic DNA replication, including the chromatin context, while maintaining an interest in bacterial and viral systems.

We study the assembly of synthetic biomolecular nanostructures, built largely from DNA and RNA, and in particular biomimetic molecular machinery. The self-assembled structures and devices group , led by Andrew Turberfield , aims to create disruptive technologies for the physical sciences and manufacture as well as probes of cellular structure and function to underpin advances in 21st-century medicine.

Ion channels

Our work with ion channels is led by Stephen Tucker and focuses on the intimate relationship between ion channel structure and function at an atomic level and the role of ion channels in health and disease. The ion channels group works primarily with K2P potassium channels and uses a range of computational, biophysical and electrophysical approaches to study their properties.

Biomechanics

Sonia Contera leads a biomechanics and scanning probe group investigating how mechanical properties of cells and tissues are coupled to chemistry and electricity to create biological function. The group uses atomic force microscopy to measure structures and mechanical properties with nanometre accuracy in living systems and works at the interface of physics, biology and nanotechnology.

Statistical physics and simulation of biological systems

Work in statistical biophysics, led by Ard Louis , applies theoretical and computational tools from statistical mechanics to study the emergence of complex behaviour from the interaction of many individual objects. The statistical biophysics group focuses on the physics of evolution and of self-assembly, including coarse-grained simulation of nucleic acid interactions and nanostructures, algorithmic information theory and deep learning.

Julia Yeomans leads a theory of soft and active matter group that addresses a variety of problems in soft matter and biological physics using theoretical and computational tools from statistical mechanics and hydrodynamics. They are particularly interested in the dynamics of soft-matter, motility at low Reynolds number, the interactions of fluids with structured surfaces, and active systems including dense suspensions of swimming bacteria and the mechanobiology of tissues.

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Chemical and Process Engineering

Chemical and Process Engineering at Oxford

Welcome to Chemical and Process Engineering at Oxford! Our team of academics and researchers are all leaders working at the forefront of their discipline. They work in a wide range of fields which  are relevant to  the greatest technological and societal challenges we face  in the 21st century…..this includes such hot topics as the water-energy-food nexus, decarbonization, resource recovery, sustainability and the circular economy, regenerative medicine,  synthetic biology and biotechnology, and much more.

Our work develops both the fundamentals and applications of Chemical Engineering Science –and it involves both experimental and modelling research. The scope of this work ranges from laboratory studies to real world applications. We collaborate with many other research institutions and with industry.

On these pages, you will find some information about our research portfolio, and the activities of our research groups. You can also discover something about what undergraduate study in chemical and process engineering is like at Oxford!

Please meet the team members here

If you need further information on a particular area, feel free to contact us.

Nanotechnology and nanomedicine

Part-time postgraduate courses and training

Our flexible courses in nanotechnology and nanomedicine are designed for professionals working in industry, research, healthcare, business, commercialisation and regulation. 

Postgraduate programmes

The part-time  MSc in Nanotechnology for Medicine and Health Care  is an advanced master’s degree specifically designed for those who would value a part-time and flexible modular learning structure, for example those in full-time employment both in the UK and overseas.  Students on the courses are full members of the University of Oxford and are matriculated as members of an Oxford college.

Find out more about the  modular master's degree >

The  Postgraduate Certificate in Nanotechnology  is taught mostly online over 10 months.  Students take three online modules and attend a short residential weekend in nanoscale materials characterisation in Oxford.

Find out more about the postgraduate certificate >

Short courses in Oxford and online

Modules from our graduate programmes may also be taken individually as a stand-alone professional training course.

Fundamental Characterisation for Nanotechnology  (online, April to June, with a two-day component in Oxford at the end of the module)

Introduction to Bionanotechnology  (in Oxford, October)

Nanomedicine – Science and Applications  (in Oxford, March)

Clinical Translation and Commercialisation of Nanomedicine  (in Oxford, July)

The Wider Context of Nanotechnology  (online, October to November)

The Fundamental Science of Nanotechnology  (online, January to March)

Why choose Oxford?

Our programmes provide the latest advances in knowledge, skills and techniques in nanotechnology and nanomedicine, with real-time online tutorials and access to state-of-the-art equipment for materials characterisation techniques.

The structure of our courses enable you to study while working and are taught by leading experts under Professor Robert Carlisle (Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science) and Dr Christiane Norenberg (Begbroke Science Park).

Delivered in partnership with the  Department of Engineering Science

Programme overview with Peter Dobson

Watch Peter Dobson OBE, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Engineering Science, talk more about the Department's nanotechnology and nanomedicine programmes.

Upcoming courses

Clinical translation and the commercialisation of nanomedicine.

• Mon 01 Jul 2024 – 05 Jul 2024

Introduction to Bionanotechnology

• Mon 07 Oct 2024 – 11 Oct 2024

The Wider Context of Nanotechnology

• Mon 14 Oct 2024 – 01 Dec 2024

The Fundamental Science of Nanotechnology

• Mon 13 Jan 2025 – 23 Mar 2025
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Nanomedicine - Science and Applications

• Mon 24 Mar 2025 – 28 Mar 2025

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Postgraduate Certificate in Nanotechnology

Msc in nanotechnology for medicine and health care, dr karen lawson, dr farasat kazmi, medical and health sciences, business and management skills.

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The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology offers PhDs in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology. Research within the Department covers a wide and exciting array of activities ranging from quite fundamental research in biology through to the traditional fields of chemical engineering, and the specifics of any project will dictate the activities of the student.  Please consult our  Research Groups page  for further information.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

No formal arrangements for departmental open days are in place; however, prospective students are welcome to request an appointment to visit at any time of year.

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3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of chemical engineering and biotechnology, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

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These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

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Article Contents

Development of pentr-neco-laczα vectors for the preparation of negative control constructs in gateway cloning.

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Taiki Kuzuhara, Kota Monden, Takushi Hachiya, Tsuyoshi Nakagawa, Development of pENTR-NeCo-lacZα vectors for the preparation of negative control constructs in Gateway cloning, Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry , 2024;, zbae061, https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbae061

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Gateway cloning is a useful technology for the simple and reliable preparation of various construct in many organisms. However, there is a problem regarding the negative control construct in the Gateway cloning system. In this study, we developed the pENTR-NeCo-lacZα vector system to create an empty vector that can be used as a negative control construct in Gateway cloning.

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Novel triple drug combination effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Scientists at the Ineos Oxford Institute (IOI) have found a new potential combination therapy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by targeting two key bacterial enzymes involved in resistance. The findings have been published in the journal Engineering .

With the increase of deadly drug-resistant infections, it is crucial that we support research and innovation to accelerate the discovery of new drugs that overcome resistance and result in interventions that save the lives of those with the greatest need. Finding new and innovative ways of combatting antibiotic resistance, such as developing new drug combinations using novel agents with existing antibiotics, is valuable in the fight against infectious disease. Timothy Jinks, Head of Intervention in Wellcome’s Infectious Disease team

Meropenem is a critical antibiotic used to treat serious multidrug-resistant infections like sepsis when other antibiotics such as penicillin have failed. However, this last resort drug is becoming less effective at treating infections due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

One effective strategy to restore the activity of the antibiotic is to use a combination therapy to counter bacterial resistance mechanisms. An antibiotic combination treatment includes an antibiotic and an inhibitor. The inhibitor prevents bacterial enzymes such as metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) and serine-β-lactamases (SBLs) from breaking down the antibiotic before it has its desired effect to treat the infection.

Research to date has largely focused on developing SBL inhibitors and these are now widely used in clinics and hospitals. Scientists at the IOI are developing new MBL inhibitors to be used in combination therapies.

This new study looked at a combination of three drugs: the β-lactam antibiotic meropenem, a newly developed MBL inhibitor called indole-2-carboxylate 58 (InC58), and an SBL inhibitor called avibactam (AVI).

This study builds on our previous work to develop broad spectrum metallo β-lactamase inhibitors. Here we combatted multiple resistance mechanisms simultaneously to great effect, and this is a great example of how chemistry and microbiology teams can collaborate to develop new potential therapies. This combination therapy works very well in the lab and the next challenge will be to show that this works in infection models and ultimately in a hospital setting. Dr Alistair Farley, IOI Scientific Lead and a co-author for the study

In hospital settings, it is difficult to determine whether a strain of bacteria causing an infection is producing SBLs or MBLs or if it is harbouring both resistance mechanisms. This is the first study to examine the combination of a carbapenem antibiotic with two inhibitors targeting SBLs and MBLs separately.

The team tested the effectiveness of the combination of all three compounds, compared to a combination of meropenem with either InC58 or AVI alone, on 51 strains of meropenem-resistant bacteria.

Researchers compared the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the different drug combinations. The MIC is the lowest concentration of a drug that is able to prevent the visible growth of a bacterial strain. An antibiotic with a low MIC value is more effective than one with a high MIC. The MIC50 is defined as the MIC value that inhibits the growth of at least 50% of the bacterial colonies.

The study found that the triple-drug combination was more effective at stopping growth of bacteria in the lab than either of the dual-drug combinations. The combination of meropenem with InC58 and AVI at a concentration of 4 mg/L lowered the MIC50 against all the bacterial isolates tested to 0.5 mg/L. This was 64 times lower than the MIC50 of meropenem combined with AVI alone (32 mg/L) and 4 times lower than the MIC50 of meropenem combined with InC58 alone (2 mg/L). This demonstrates a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against different strains of MBL- and SBL-producing bacteria.

These findings suggest a potential new combination therapy for meropenem-resistant infections, and whilst this works very well in the lab further development is needed to show that this may also be effective in a hospital setting. The findings provide a benchmark for the activity of a single ideal molecule which can evade bacterial resistance mechanisms. Such novel treatments could significantly extend the antibacterial activity of carbapenems, and possibly other β-lactam antibiotics.

The study ‘The Triple Combination of Meropenem, Avibactam, and a Metallo-β-Lactamase Inhibitor Optimizes Antibacterial Coverage Against Different β-Lactamase Producers’ has been published in Engineering .

You can learn more about the work of the Ineos Oxford Institute on their website .

This work was supported by the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

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