mass spectrometry | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans

PhD in Quantitative Mass Spectrometry by LC-ESI-IT-MS, IGSM, Germany

Signal strength in mass spectrometry strongly depends on the chemistry and size of analytes and can therefore not simply be used for quantification. In the field of polysaccharide derivatives, e.g. cellulose ethers, the molar composition of complex oligomeric mixtures obtained by partial depolymerization of the polymer, need to be analyzed. Accuracy of quantitative data is of high importance for pattern evaluation of these chemically modified biopolymers.

In Electrospray Ionization (ESI), surface activity and electrophoretic mobility of analytes, solvent and solvation energy, play an important role for relative ion yields of the components of a mixture. In addition, instrumental parameters as skimmer voltages and target mass influence the ion current. Coupling of the MS to Liquid chromatrography (LC) can mitigate effects of competition of analytes, and allow to optimize individual measurement conditions. Aim of the project is to study and quantify the factors of influence. Therefore, defined oligosaccharide derivatives shall be synthesized as model compounds and their behavior be studied.

The Braunschweig IGSM aims at increasing the number of women in scientific positions. Female candidates are therefore particularly encouraged to apply.
You are required to hold an excellent university degree (master’s or equivalent degree) in physics, chemistry, electrical or mechanical engineering, mathematics, information technology or related fields. Please note that the entire program is run in English, so fluency in both written and spoken English is required. Skills in German are welcome.
You may be a member of the IGSM for up to 3 years. In your first semester, you will be accepted on a probationary basis.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 31 March 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

University of Edinburgh,Research Scholarships in Chemistry 2011 in UK

The Chemistry/Biology Interface
This is a broad area, with particular strengths in the areas of protein structure and function, mechanistic enzymology, proteomics, peptide and protein synthesis, protein folding, recombinant and synthetic DNA methodology, biologically targeted synthesis and the application of high throughput and combinatorial approaches. We also focus on biophysical chemistry, the development and application of physicochemical techniques to biological systems. This includes mass spectrometry, advanced spectroscopy and microscopy, as applied to proteins, enzymes, DNA, membranes and biosensors.

Experimental & Theoretical Chemical Physics

This is the fundamental study of molecular properties and processes. Areas of expertise include probing molecular structure in the gas phase, clusters and nanoparticles, the development and application of physicochemical techniques such as mass spectoscropy to molecular systems and the EaStCHEM surface science group, who study complex molecules on surfaces, probing the structure property-relationships employed in heterogeneous catalysis. A major feature is in Silico Scotland, a worldclass research computing facility.

Molecular Synthetic Chemistry

This research area encompasses the synthesis and characterisation of organic and inorganic compounds, including those with application in homogeneous catalysis, nanotechnology, coordination chemistry, ligand design and supramolecular chemistry, asymmetric catalysis, heterocyclic chemistry and the development of synthetic methods and strategies leading to the synthesis of biologically important molecules (including drug discovery). The development of innovative synthetic and characterisation methodologies (particularly in structural chemistry) is a key feature, and we specialise in structural chemistry at extremely high pressures.

Materials Chemistry

The EaStCHEM Materials group is one of the largest in the UK. Areas of strength include the design, synthesis and characterisation of functional (for example magnetic, superconducting and electronic) materials; strongly correlated electronic materials, battery and fuel cell materials and devices, porous solids, fundamental and applied electrochemistry polymer microarray technologies and technique development for materials and nanomaterials analysis.

Please see our Scholarships and Student Finance Office for information about funding opportunities:

  • students attend regular research talks, visiting speaker symposia, an annual residential meeting in the Scottish Highlands, and lecture courses on specialised techniques and safety. Students are encouraged to participate in transferable skills and computing courses, public awareness of science activities, undergraduate teaching and to represent the School at national and international conferences.

Our range of instrumentation matches the best available elsewhere in the world and offers a unique range of capabilities. Our laboratories have been refurbished recently to meet the highest possible standards. For NMR in the solution and solid state, we have 10 spectrometers at field strengths from 200-800 MHz; mass spectrometry utilises EI, ESI, APCI, MALDI and FAB instrumentation, including LC and GC interfaces. New combinatorial chemistry laboratories, equipped with a modern fermentation unit, are available. We have excellent facilities for the synthesis and characterisation of bio-molecules, including advanced mass spectrometry and NMR stopped-flow spectrometers, EPR, HPLC, FPLC, AA.

World-class facilities are available for small molecule and macromolecular X-ray diffraction, utilising both single crystal and powder methods. Application of diffraction methods at high pressures is a particular strength, and we enjoy strong links to central facilities for neutron, muon and synchrotron science in the UK and further afield. We are one of the world’s leading centres for gas-phase electron diffraction.

Also available are instruments for magnetic and electronic characterisation of materials (SQUID), electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), force-probe microscopy, high-resolution FTRaman and FT-IR, XPS and thermal analysis. We have also recently installed a new 1,000- tonne pressure chamber, to be used for the synthesis of materials at high pressures and temperatures. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy instruments are available within the COSMIC Centre. Dedicated computational infrastructure is available, and we benefit from close links with the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 1 February 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD Studentship in MS-based Proteomics, Denmark

The Department of Proteomics at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research is offering a PhD stipend in the Proteomics and Cell Signaling Group. The position is offered for a period of three years and employment is governed by the Protocol on PhD Research Fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) on 1 October 2008, enclosure 5. The salary depends on seniority, as agreed between the Ministry of Finance and AC within the range of 23.000-30.000 DKK/month (approximately 3.100-4.000 Euro/month) for a PhD position plus a pension supplement of 17 %.
The PhD candidate will be expected, over the period of the stipend, to acquire experience in teaching or other types of presentations. The tentative start date is 1 March 2011.

Qualifications:
* The candidate is required to have a M.Sc. or equivalent degree in natural or medical science.
* Excellent academic track record.
* Prior experience in biochemistry, cell culture and/or protein chemistry techniques is desirable.
* Knowledge in one or more of the following area(s) would be considered an advantage: genetics and biology, cell signaling, high-throughput protein-protein interactions, or chromatin biology.
* Prior experience in high resolution mass spectrometry is not essential.
* Good communication skills, both oral and written.
* An analytical aptitude for devising innovative scientific or technical solutions.
* Demonstrate enthusiasm, motivation, flexibility and confidence.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 24-01-2011
Further Scholarship Information and Application