UQ Winter Research Program
The UQ Winter Research Program provides the chance to road-test research alongside UQ academics and researchers.
The program enables you to extend your knowledge of an area of interest, and to develop your analytical, critical thinking and communication skills.
The Research Experience Programs are open to undergraduate (including honours) and postgraduate coursework students studying at The University of Queensland.
Find your project (Projects available in 2025)
See the list of our available projects below.
Please note: SCMB has four scholarships available for 2025.
RNA-based control of wheat rust
Description: Rusts are a major fungal disease of wheat, causing significant yield and economic losses each year. The aim of this project is to investigate the feasibility of RNA-based control of wheat rusts including leaf and stem rust. The project will involve PCR/qPCR, RNA synthesis, RNA extraction and plant protection assays.
Expected outcomes and deliverables: Scholars will be trained in a PC2 laboratory and learn molecular plant pathology techniques. Students may be asked to give an oral presentation at the end of their project.
Suitable for: The project is open to applications from students with a background in molecular biology, biotechnology, plant sciences and/or mycology.
Primary supervisor: Dr Anne Sawyer
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
Structural studies of proteins involved in infection and immunity
Description: The aim of this project is to use structural biology to understand the molecular basis of processes involved in infection and immunity. The work has implications for treating a range of infectious and inflammatory diseases and cancer, or for minimizing plant disease. We are focusing in particular on the proteins involved in cytoplasmic signalling by Toll-like receptors, and effector-triggered immunity by plants. The main techniques will involve protein expression, purification, crystallization and structure determination, molecular interaction analyses and characterization of functional effects of site-directed mutants.
Expected outcomes and deliverables: Scholars will gain skills in various lab techniques mentioned above and have an opportunity to contribute to publications from their research. Students may also be asked to produce a report or oral presentation at the end of their project.
Suitable for: Students with background in biochemistry, biophysics and other relevant areas are most suitable. We are looking for motivated students with interest in research in the areas the lab works in.
Primary supervisor: Professor Bostjan Kobe
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
Electro-reductive synthesis of medicines
Description: Synthetic organic electrochemistry is gaining importance as a safe and sustainable technology to prepare organic molecules. Electro-organic reactions use electrical current instead of chemical reagents to promote chemical change, thus reducing the cost and generation of waste during the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. This project will study the synthesis of medicines or their intermediates using electrolysis.
Expected outcomes and deliverables: The student will learn how to carry out synthetic electrochemical reactions and as well as general synthetic organic chemistry, including monitoring of reaction mixtures and purification and characterisation of organic molecules.
Suitable for: This project is open to motivated students with a strong background in chemistry.
Primary supervisor: Dr David Cantillo
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
How do antimicrobial peptides cause membrane leakage?
Description:
Background: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can kill bacterial and fungal cells through a complex, membrane-mediate mechanism that is less susceptible to resistance than conventional antimicrobial drugs. Unfortunately, most AMPs also damage red blood cells (haemolysis), which makes them not suitable to treat systemic infections. This project investigates the use of model membranes made from synthetic lipids or lipid extracts from cells to better understand who differences in lipid-peptide interactions govern the haemolytic vs amicrobial activity of AMPs.
Aim: To use biophysical chemistry experiments to compare the properties of lipid vesicles made from synthetic lipids to vesicles made from fungal, bacterial or red blood cell extracts.
Approach: In our lab, we use a range of biophysical techniques such as UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering or zeta potential measurements to characterise properties of biological membranes and their interactions with peptides and small molecules.
Expected outcomes and deliverables:
In this project students will
- Learn biophysical techniques that are usually not taught in undergraduate sciences degrees.
- Learn how to keep lab notes and design, carry-out and analyse your own experiments to a standard required for scientific publications.
- Work in a research group and carry out experiments that form part of a larger project.
- Gain knowledge in membrane biophysics, structural biology, and peptide-based drug design.
Suitable for:
This project is suitable for undergraduates in their 3rd or 4th year of a BSc program or Masters student with an interest in biophysical chemistry, peptides and structural biology. Background in chemistry or biochemistry is required.
Students need to be curious, highly motivated and interested in learning something new.
Primary supervisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
Developing an in-silico model of the fungal cell envelope (computational biophysics)
Description:
Background: The fungal cell envelope is a complex structure that is critical for the cell’s ability to adapt to the environment and also plays a key role in the development of antifungal drugs. Yet there are many unanswered questions about the roles of different lipids or sugars in the interactions of the cell envelope with antifungal drugs.
Aim: To develop an in-silico structural model of the fungal cell envelope. This project uses molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the role of lipid composition in the structure and surface properties of fungal cell membrane.
Approach: In our lab, we use molecular dynamics simulations, a computational approach to studying chemical and biological systems. See this video for a quick explanation of what computational MD simulations are: https://vimeo.com/588776538
We also use a range of biophysical techniques to integrate findings from wet-lab approaches into our simulations.
Expected outcomes and deliverables:
In this project students will
- Learn the basic principle of molecular dynamics simulations
- Develop or improve your computational and programming skills
- Learn how to keep lab notes and design, carry-out and analyse your own experiments to a standard required for scientific publications.
- Work in a research group and contribute to active research projects.
- Gain knowledge in biophysical chemistry and structural biology.
Suitable for:
Suitable for undergraduates in their 3rd or 4th year year or Masters students, with an interest in computational chemistry, biophysics or physical chemistry. Background in chemistry is required. Basic background in scripting or programming is preferred but not essential.
Students need to be curious, highly motivated and interested in learning something new.
Primary supervisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
What is the role of lipid composition in antifungal drug activity?
Description:
Background: Most antifungal drugs work by targeting lipids or proteins in the cell wall or plasma cell membrane as these are some of the few differences between mammalian and fungal cells. Lipid vesicles made from synthetic lipids are regularly used as a model of the plasma membrane to study the role of lipid composition in the mechanism of antifungal drugs. How well to these vesicles recreate the biophysical properties of cell surfaces? Are vesicles made of complex lipid mixtures extracted from fungal cells a better representation of the plasma membrane?
Aim: To use biophysical chemistry experiments to compare the properties of lipid vesicles made from synthetic lipids to vesicles made from fungal blood cell extracts.
Approach: In our lab, we use a range of biophysical techniques such as UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering or zeta potential measurements to characterise properties of biological membranes and their interactions with peptides and small molecules.
Expected outcomes and deliverables:
In this project students will
- learn biophysical techniques that are usually not taught in undergraduate sciences degrees.
- Learn how to keep lab notes and design, carry-out and analyse your own experiments to a standard required for scientific publications.
- Work in a research group and carry out experiments that form part of a larger project.
- Gain knowledge in membrane biophysics, structural biology, and peptide-based drug design.
Suitable for:
This project is suitable for undergraduates in their 3rd or 4th year of a BSc program or Masters student with an interest in biophysical chemistry, peptides and structural biology. Background in chemistry or biochemistry is required.
Students need to be curious, highly motivated and interested in learning something new.
Primary supervisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
Before you apply: Contact the primary supervisor.
Application details
Find out more about the UQ Winter Research Program, including eligibility guidelines and application details.