Development of an efficient chemoenzymatic route for site selective antibody-peptide conjugation
University of Aberdeen School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition
Closes: Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Eligibility: Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join a fully funded, four-year IBioIC Industrial PhD Programme. This studentship provides a financial package to support your research, including home tuition fees, a tax-free student stipend, and an allocated consumables budget. The studentship also provides a key industrial placement at Ingenza Ltd in Edinburgh, ideally undertaken during your final year.
This project aims to develop a novel chemoenzymatic platform for the site-selective conjugation of antibodies with cyclic peptides via recruiting enzymes that can selectively install reactive chemical handles in peptides and antibodies under mild aqueous conditions, followed by chemoselective coupling to generate well-defined conjugates.
Cyclic peptides hold high therapeutic potential as they can modulate challenging disease-relevant protein-protein interactions. Their conjugation with antibodies will significantly improve specificity and reduce toxicity.
By combining peptide synthesis, enzyme engineering and bioconjugation chemistry, the project will address key limitations of existing antibody conjugation methods, particularly poor control over modification site and product heterogeneity.
The project offers a unique training opportunity for prospective students to gain interdisciplinary, hands-on experience in peptide synthesis, enzymology, recombinant protein expression and purification, bioconjugation chemistry and analytical characterization. The project plan involves an industrial placement for eight months at Ingenza Ltd, providing students with experience of an industrial biotechnology environment. The collaboration with Ingenza Ltd., in this project, will enable the translation of the research into scalable and commercially relevant bioprocesses.
Informal enquiries are encouraged, please contact Dr Wael Houssen (w.houssen@abdn.ac.uk) for further information.
Candidate Background:
Please note a 2.1 at honours level (or UK equivalent) is the standard entry requirement for PhD level study
The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or relevant fields. Experience and understanding of methods such as chemoenzymatic synthesis and/or protein expression and purification would be an advantage.
Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion is at the heart of the University of Aberdeen. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and actively encourage applications from people with diverse career paths, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.
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Application Procedure
Important note: This project is open only to applicants eligible for the Home/UK fee rate. This includes EU students who hold settled or pre-settled status and meet the relevant residency criteria.
To apply, please submit the following documents via email to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk
A cover letter addressed to the supervisor of the project you're applying for.
An up-to-date CV detailing your academic qualifications, employment history, and any other relevant experience. Please ensure your current permanent address is clearly stated, as this will be used to determine your fee status.
Clear copies of your degree certificates and transcripts (if available).
Evidence of settled or pre-settled status (if applicable).
Please send your application with documents attached as a single email with the subject line: "IBiolC_WH - [Your Name]"
The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on 15th July 2026. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
For any enquiries regarding your application or the application process, please contact smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk
Funding Notes
This IBioIC Industrial PhD Programme is fully funded for 4 years, and the fund covers the student tuition fees (home fees only), student stipend (estimated at £21,383 for the 2026/27 academic year) and a consumable budget. During the PhD, the student may need to relocate to Edinburgh for a placement at Ingenza Ltd. Ideally, during the 4th year of the PhD programme.
The Expected start date is October 2026
