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PhD in evolutionary cell biology | How does Diplonema papillatum segregate its chromosomes?

Project 2744 · University of Edinburgh · School of Biological Sciences

Application workspace

Save this opportunity and prepare around its actual requirements. Confirm deadlines and eligibility at the original source.

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Country or region
United Kingdom
Application deadline
2027-01-06 (confirm the exact time with the source)
Funding
Listed as a competition-funded PhD opportunity for applicants worldwide. The Darwin Trust route is for non-UK nationals whose first university degree or equivalent was obtained less than five years before the closing date; the studentship lasts up to four years and includes an annual stipend and University tuition fees. The stipend amount and full overseas-fee coverage remain unconfirmed. A 2026–2027 overseas fee reference is £34,800 per year; the 2027–2028 fee and any shortfall are unconfirmed.

The research opportunity

Project overview

This PhD project at the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences investigates chromosome segregation in the marine protist Diplonema papillatum, also called Paradiplonema papillatum in recent papers. It aims to identify and characterize candidate kinetochore proteins and use them to understand how this organism separates chromosomes. The possibility of a third kinetochore system is a research hypothesis, not a promised result.

The proposed work combines interaction-partner discovery, fluorescence imaging, computational analysis such as AlphaFold, protein biochemistry and structural biology. The project also proposes developing molecular tools for depleting selected proteins in D. papillatum.

Project details

Kinetochores assemble on centromeric DNA and interact with spindle microtubules during mitosis and meiosis. At least two kinetochore systems with different compositions are known. Diplonemids are diverse marine protists that differ substantially from traditional model eukaryotes, and their kinetochore composition and chromosome-segregation mechanisms remain poorly understood.

D. papillatum has a publicly available genome and molecular tools. The group began characterizing its mitotic mechanism by imaging conserved mitotic proteins. A 2025 study described mitotic rings and several cell-cycle-associated proteins in this organism, but did not resolve the structural kinetochore composition or chromosome-segregation mechanism. The precise post-publication question, prioritized candidates, success criteria and alternative direction for this PhD remain unconfirmed and should be clarified with the supervisor.

The advertised work proposes immunoprecipitating conserved mitotic proteins that may interact with kinetochore proteins, then identifying partners by mass spectrometry. Candidate proteins would be examined through epitope tagging and fluorescence microscopy, with computational methods (for example, AlphaFold), protein biochemistry and structural biology. The project also aims to develop tools to deplete proteins in D. papillatum. Its goal is to discover and characterize the kinetochore system and inform fundamental principles of eukaryotic chromosome-segregation machinery; the description does not guarantee discovery of a distinct “third” system.

Application and funding

The project is listed as a competition-funded PhD opportunity for applicants worldwide. The Darwin Trust route is for applicants who are not UK nationals and whose first university degree or equivalent was obtained less than five years before the closing date. The studentship lasts up to four years and includes an annual stipend and University tuition fees. The stipend amount and whether the award covers the full overseas tuition rate remain unconfirmed. A 2026–2027 overseas fee reference is £34,800 per year; the 2027–2028 fee and any shortfall remain unconfirmed.

The Darwin Trust application form and references are due by 6 January 2027 at 12:00 GMT. Applicants identify the project and proposed supervisor, contact the supervisor with a CV, and arrange two academic or equivalent references. One should normally come from an academic tutor; for applicants with research experience, a reference from the research-group head is advised. Interviews are scheduled for 15–19 March 2027, with an October 2027 start.

No separate University PhD application or English-language evidence is required at the initial Darwin Trust funding-application stage. Successful applicants are guided through the University admissions process; a University application and English evidence may be required later. Applicants using alternative funding may need to apply separately to the School's PhD programme. The University currently lists a relevant-subject UK 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent, research experience and understanding of the proposed field for 2026–2027 entry; criteria may change for 2027–2028. The project does not state that prior experience in every named method is required. The University reserves the right to amend or withdraw advertised scholarships without notice.

Before applying, confirm how the PhD will advance the group's 2025 work, the award's stipend and overseas-fee terms, personal eligibility, and the final 2027–2028 admissions requirements. The deadline time and timezone are stated above; the award amount and full overseas-fee coverage are not.

Research and application brief

Report generated: . This date does not confirm that recruitment remains open.

Information updated: . Recheck the original notice before applying.

Show report contents

PhD in evolutionary cell biology | How does Diplonema papillatum segregate its chromosomes?

Quick Decision

Promising with material uncertainties. This project asks whether the marine protist Diplonema papillatum—called Paradiplonema papillatum in recent papers—uses an unusual kinetochore system to separate chromosomes. The question remains open, and the host group has published directly on the organism. The advertised doctorate proposes candidate discovery followed by complementary imaging, computational, biochemical and structural characterization. It is best aligned with applicants interested in evolutionary cell biology, molecular mechanisms and non-model eukaryotes who have relevant life-science research experience.

The main caveat is that the group's 2025 paper already established a molecular baseline in P. papillatum, while the project description still states a broad discovery goal. The remaining question is scientifically worthwhile, but the exact post-publication doctoral contribution needs clarification. The Darwin Trust route has a clear deadline—6 January 2027 at 12 noon GMT—but the public pages reviewed do not state the stipend amount or exact overseas tuition coverage. Before applying, ask the supervisor how the project has changed since the 2025 paper and obtain written funding and fee terms. The 2025 study, Darwin Trust's Edinburgh application guidance

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

Kinetochores connect centromeric DNA to spindle microtubules and help coordinate chromosome movement during cell division. Their composition varies across eukaryotes. Diplonemids are abundant marine protists, but their cell biology is still poorly characterized. A 2024 comparative study found few recognizable components of either the canonical kinetochore system or the unusual kinetoplastid system in diplonemids. It therefore raised the possibility that diplonemids have a distinct system; it did not identify a complete functional structure. Benz et al., 2024

A more direct baseline appeared in 2025. Akiyoshi, Faktorová and Lukeš reported chromosome organization into two mitotic rings and the localization of several proteins associated with cell-cycle regulation in other organisms. They described the paper as an initial molecular characterization and left the structural kinetochore composition and chromosome-segregation mechanism unresolved. These observations sharpen the PhD question: which proteins form or organize the chromosome-to-spindle interface, and what evidence distinguishes a true kinetochore component from a protein with another cell-cycle role? The genus name Paradiplonema is used in these recent studies, so both names should be used when searching the literature. Akiyoshi et al., 2025

The advertised doctoral work aims to discover candidate kinetochore proteins and characterize them using complementary forms of evidence. The description names interaction-partner discovery, protein tagging and fluorescence imaging, computational analyses such as AlphaFold, protein biochemistry and structural biology. It also proposes development of further molecular tools. Taken together, this is a broad project spanning candidate selection, cellular localization, molecular characterization and structural interpretation. A credible result could be a better-supported candidate set and a clearer model of chromosome segregation, even if no single “third kinetochore” is confirmed. The project should not be read as promising that a new kinetochore will be found.

The most useful research angle is to establish how the post-2025 work builds beyond the published baseline. The project's interaction and characterization goals could address that gap, but the public material does not identify which candidates are now prioritized, what constitutes success, or what alternative work would follow inconclusive candidate evidence. Ask for the revised thesis question and milestones.

School, Programme and Field Context

The project is based in the School of Biological Sciences, within the University of Edinburgh's College of Science and Engineering, at King's Buildings. The School page identifies it as one of the UK's largest biological-science groupings and reports a top-25 worldwide QS subject position for 2025. The QS 2026 World University Rankings by Subject place Edinburgh 19th worldwide in Biological Sciences. These are broad subject signals, not ratings of this lab or the specific project. The University of Edinburgh has degree-awarding powers; the Darwin Trust is an independent charity associated with the University, not the degree-awarding body. School postgraduate research, QS 2026 Biological Sciences table

The Biological Sciences PhD is listed as a four-year full-time programme. The School's Graduate School coordinates research study, and students can access specialised and transferable-skills training. The University degree finder currently describes 2026–2027 entry requirements as a relevant-subject UK 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent, research experience and a good understanding of the proposed field; those requirements may change for 2027–2028. Darwin Trust applicants first apply to the Trust. If selected, they are guided through the University admissions process, including any later English-language evidence and registration requirements. Confirm the final 2027 entry criteria and admission sequence before relying on current programme details. Biological Sciences PhD programme, School research training, PhD training and support, University degree-awarding powers

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

Dr Bungo Akiyoshi is a Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Cell Biology at the Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences. His group studies chromosome segregation in kinetoplastids and diplonemids. The University profile lists current lab members and research directions, but public pages do not specify the supervisory team, meeting frequency, student-to-supervisor ratio or which facilities are reserved for this studentship. Akiyoshi's University profile, Akiyoshi lab members

The 2025 P. papillatum study is the closest evidence of fit between the group and this project. It establishes organism-specific experience and highlights unresolved questions; it also means the PhD's contribution should be discussed against that publication. Collaboration with Drahomíra Faktorová and Julius Lukeš, whose listed affiliations include the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia, is visible in that paper. Akiyoshi's 2024 work on Aurora B and a divergent checkpoint protein connected cell-cycle regulation with chromosome-segregation timing in Trypanosoma brucei. A separate 2024 paper characterized divergent kinetoplastid checkpoint proteins. Both papers show adjacent comparative expertise, but findings in kinetoplastids cannot be transferred directly to P. papillatum. 2024 Aurora B study, 2024 checkpoint-protein study

The group's structural work is also relevant to the proposed characterization pathway. A 2025 study examined a kinetoplastid kinetochore-associated protein's structure and biochemical activity; a 2024 collaboration characterized a domain from another kinetoplastid protein. These papers show that structural biology is part of the group's research experience, but they do not establish access to a particular facility or predict the outcome for the PhD target. The PI also holds a 2023–2031 Wellcome Discovery Award for work on T. brucei. That award supports the wider research programme; it is distinct from the advertised Darwin Trust studentship and should not be assumed to fund this student's fees or living costs. 2025 KKT23 study, 2024 structural study, Wellcome grant record

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

The Darwin Trust describes four-year biological and biomedical science studentships for applicants who are not UK nationals. The scheme provides an annual stipend and pays University tuition fees for up to four years. It also states that an applicant's first university degree or equivalent must have been obtained less than five years before the round's closing date. The Edinburgh application page sets the deadline for Wednesday, 6 January 2027 at 12 noon GMT; the application and references are due by then. Applicants submit the Trust form, identify the project and proposed supervisor, contact the supervisor with a CV, and arrange two academic or equivalent references. One reference should normally be from an academic tutor; for applicants with research experience, a reference from the research-group head is advised. Interviews are scheduled for 15–19 March 2027, with an October 2027 start. No University application or English evidence is required at the initial Trust stage, but both may be required later. Darwin Trust studentship terms, Edinburgh application procedure

The public pages reviewed do not state the stipend amount, the precise annual award value, or whether the tuition payment covers the full overseas rate in every year. The University's current reference for 2026–2027 lists £34,800 per year for full-time overseas Biological Sciences/Cell and Molecular Biology PhD routes. The 2027–2028 fee and the award's treatment of any difference are unconfirmed. 2026–2027 research-degree fee table

For 2026–2027, the University estimates a postgraduate living budget in Edinburgh of £18,504 per year, or £1,542 per month. This is an estimate, varies with accommodation and spending, and excludes tuition, study costs, visa fees and the immigration health surcharge. Since the Trust does not publish the award amount on the pages reviewed, it is not possible to determine whether the stipend covers living costs or whether international fees leave a gap. Request the written 2027 award terms and budget for visa, relocation and project-related costs before accepting an offer. Edinburgh postgraduate living-cost estimate

Applicant Fit and Preparation

Formal conditions. The Darwin Trust route is for applicants who are not UK nationals; its general page sets a five-year window from the first university degree to the deadline. The Edinburgh round requires two academic or equivalent references and a complete application by the stated deadline. The University's currently published programme requirement is a relevant-subject 2:1 equivalent, research experience and understanding of the field, but the 2027–2028 criteria should be checked when finalized.

Preferred evidence and suggested preparation. Darwin Trust guidance says demonstrated research ability is an advantage, but it need not be in the same subject as the proposed doctorate. The advertised project does not state that prior experience with every named method is mandatory. A background in cell or molecular biology, evolutionary biology, biochemistry or a related field is a natural match. Experience interpreting imaging, protein-interaction or structural evidence could help an applicant explain their preparation, but this is an analysis of the work rather than an admission rule. Candidates whose main interest is ecological fieldwork or a purely computational project may find the advertised blend of molecular and cell biology less aligned.

UK government analysis projects growth in priority life-sciences occupations through 2035, with an estimated 66,000 additional jobs and 52,000 replacement demand, but explicitly warns that these figures are uncertain and are not precise employment forecasts. The wider sector includes research, biochemistry, laboratory and digital roles. The project could build transferable experience relevant to academic research or life-sciences R&D, but sector-wide data cannot predict vacancies in this niche, academic career prospects or an individual outcome. Skills England life-sciences assessment, UK Life Sciences Jobs Plan, BBSRC Forward Look 2025

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying

  • Ask Dr Akiyoshi whether the doctoral question and deliverables have changed since the 2025 P. papillatum paper, and how the student's work will be distinct from parallel group projects.
  • Confirm Darwin Trust eligibility, the relevant five-year degree window, the 2027–2028 University entry criteria, required documents and any later EUCLID application.
  • Obtain the 2027 stipend amount, payment duration, overseas tuition coverage and written details of visa, health-surcharge, relocation and research-cost support before deciding whether the award is financially viable.
  • Arrange the two required references and submit the Trust application by 6 January 2027, 12 noon GMT.

At Interview

  • Ask which research question, candidate classes and milestones are committed to the PhD, and what alternative outcomes would still make the thesis successful.
  • Clarify the supervisory team, expected meeting schedule, collaboration roles, facility access and budget for the work.
  • Confirm the project's approved research scope and relevant institutional oversight.

Before Accepting an Offer

  • Check the written offer against the stipend, fee coverage, annual review conditions, award duration and any fee increases.
  • Confirm the University admission and English-language conditions, start date, and which visa, relocation and project expenses remain the student's responsibility.

Evidence and Sources

Core project, school and application

Supervisor and research papers

Fees, living costs and career context

Sources

The listing may come from a university or recruitment platform. Check the notice and official sources in the report for current application requirements. View the recruitment source

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