PhD Studentship - Uncovering the origin and evolution of primitive compartments x 2 (Fixed Term)

Summary: The origin of cell membranes is a major unresolved issue in evolution. Evolutionary biology points to the existence of primitive cells with compositionally diverse membranes that could actively participate in genetic and metabolic processes. However, the assumption that such lipid diversity is dependent upon enzymatic chemistry has generated models comprising compositionally minimal membranes (binary or ternary mixtures of short-chain fatty or phosphatidic acids) that passively host genetic or metabolic processes. This project seeks to reconcile biology and chemistry by challenging the critical limiting assumption that lipid diversity cannot be achieved through non-enzymatic, prebiotic chemistries.

The projects will identify prebiotic chemistries that could have given rise to compositionally diverse membranes and show how these support characteristic behaviours necessary for nucleic acid replication and membrane division, the hallmarks of a cell cycle. To achieve this goal, we will harness diversity-oriented prebiotic synthesis to non-enzymatically transform primitive pluripotent lipids into libraries of diverse lipids (Project 1). These lipids will be used to build compositionally diverse membranes capable of interacting with membrane-editing protoenzymes and ribozymes (Project 2).

ProtocellLab: The main focus of the ProtocellLab is to understand how primitive cells emerged on early Earth and how they started to interact with one another. The PhD student will develop skills in the areas of prebiotic, biophysical and supramolecular chemistry, applied to primitive and artificial cells. The small group size (3 PDRAs, 1 MPhil and 5 PhD students) ensures close supervision and training. The project offers interactions with other groups within the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, with the possibility of performing research periods abroad.

Two fully funded 3.5-year PhD studentships, supported by an ERC Starting Grant, is available in the ProtocellLab (www.bonfiolab.eu) at the Department of Biochemistry commencing on 1st October 2025.