PhD students are an essential part of the research ecosystem at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS). Throughout their time at the LMS they have access to state-of-the-art facilities and world class training to provide a foundation for their career.

In April this year, we launched the biannual PhD Prize to recognise the highest standards of doctoral research at the LMS. When a student’s viva and thesis are exceptional, they can be nominated by their examiners to win this prize. Winners of the prize are awarded £500 for their achievement.   

This Autumn, Quentin Smith was awarded the LMS PhD Prize. His viva examiners noted that “the thesis was of very high quality”, “viva performance was outstanding” and that Quentin demonstrated “excellent understanding of the project, methodologies, and the biological implications of his research”. 

Quentin completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor David Rueda in the Single Molecule Imaging group.  His project investigated CRISPR/Cas9, a well-known gene-editing tool that finds and edits specific genes. While it’s been successfully used in some clinical trials, it can sometimes cause unintended mutations with potential detrimental consequences such as cancer. Quentin’s work showed that the 3D structure of DNA plays a key role in how accurate CRIPSR/Cas9 can be. Using microscopy and lasers to manipulate DNA, Quentin has opened up new possibilities to develop new Cas9 variants that take into account the structure of DNA, which could lead to safer CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutics. 

Having completed his PhD, we wish Quentin all the luck in his new position as a joint postdoctoral research fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the US.