PhD Studentship: Cracking the carbohydrate code: how carbohydrate-binding modules control starch digestion
University of East Anglia
Why this matters: Starch is the principal source of dietary glucose, and the rate at which it is digested has major consequences for metabolic health. Food science still lacks the mechanistic understanding to rationally design starch-based foods with tailored digestion profiles. Starch digestion is initiated by amylases. How amylases and carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) shape starch-binding affinity and hydrolysis kinetics is poorly resolved, particularly at the solid–liquid interfaces where digestion occurs....
Why this matters: Starch is the principal source of dietary glucose, and the rate at which it is digested has major consequences for metabolic health. Food science still lacks the mechanistic understanding to rationally design starch-based foods with tailored digestion profiles. Starch digestion is initiated by amylases. How amylases and carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) shape starch-binding affinity and hydrolysis kinetics is poorly resolved, particularly at the solid–liquid interfaces where digestion occurs....
Opportunity details
Why this matters: Starch is the principal source of dietary glucose, and the rate at which it is digested has major consequences for metabolic health. Food science still lacks the mechanistic understanding to rationally design starch-based foods with tailored digestion profiles. Starch digestion is initiated by amylases. How amylases and carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) shape starch-binding affinity and hydrolysis kinetics is poorly resolved, particularly at the solid–liquid interfaces where digestion occurs. The project: You will have an opportunity to link CBM identity directly to their function. Working across carbohydrate hydrogel structure/mobility, digestion enzymology and advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) you will uncover molecular level details of how starch structures interact with amylases at different stages of digestion and their impact on starch hydrolysis in different regions of the human gut. This will benefit rational design of foods with tailored digestive profiles. What you will do/learn: Materials science: starch interfaces structure and dynamics; Biomedical methods: enzyme assay design, enzymology and biophysical techniques; Spectroscopy: cutting-edge solid- and solution-state NMR for carbohydrates; Data analysis; multivariate and correlative statistical analysis; Translation: integrate findings with rational food design. You will be jointly supervised in the Khimyak/ Koev / Warren labs—collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and hands-on. Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields. Some experience with NMR or other advanced structural tools is a plus, and you should enjoy working across disciplines. The environment: You will join the Norwich R...
Eligibility
Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields. Some experience with NMR or other advanced structural tools is a plus, and you should enjoy working across disciplines.
Requirements
Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields. Some experience with NMR or other advanced structural tools is a plus, and you should enjoy working across disciplines.
Funding and benefits
Funding eligibility: UK Students, EU Students, International Students. Funding amount: £21,805.
How to apply
Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields.
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Recorded source check: October 22, 2026. A stored check date does not guarantee that every field is complete or still current. Compare the provider, eligibility, funding and deadline with the live official call before applying.
Benefits
Funding eligibility: UK Students, EU Students, International Students. Funding amount: £21,805.
Eligibility summary
Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields. Some experience with NMR or other advanced structural tools is a plus, and you should enjoy working across disciplines.
Requirements
Who should apply: We welcome applicants with backgrounds in structural biology, pharmacology, biophysics, materials science, or related fields. Some experience with NMR or other advanced structural tools is a plus, and you should enjoy working across disciplines.
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