Enzymes of endocannabinoid turnover in inflammatory responses
Fact file
Duration |
Three to four years full-time |
Eligibility |
Self-funded; Home, EU or International Students |
Supervisor(s) |
Steve Alexander |
Application deadline |
No deadline |
About the project
Over recent years, we have generated, developed and established a wide range of assays for different enzyme activities. In particular, we have enzyme assays for metabolism of the endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol), nucleosides and nucleotides (adenosine and ATP), gasotransmitters (nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide), adenylyl and guanylyl cyclases and phospholipase C. The assays differ dependent on application. Some assays are targeted at investigating biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms of activity; some are used to quantify activities ex vivo and some are used to generate high-throughput screening assays.
This project will explore the use of fluorescently-tagged irreversible enzyme inhibitors to quantify multiple enzyme activities in a complex mixture to correlate enzyme function with disease and/or pharmacological/therapeutic intervention. The potential application of this technique for novel drug discovery will also be evaluated.
Funding notes
This project is available to self-funded students. Home applicants should contact the supervisor to determine the current funding status for this project. EU applicants should visit the Graduate School webpages for information on specific EU scholarships. International applicants should visit our International Research Scholarships page for information regarding fees and funding at the University.
See this project on FindaPhD
Enzymes of endocannabinoid turnover in inflammatory responses