Fully funded PhD position studying phase separated compartments in development at the University of Manchester

Investigating the role of cytoplasmic P-bodies in the robustness of embryonic development.

Cytoplasmic Processing Bodies (P-bodies) are phase separated compartments where mRNAs can be stored for later translation or degraded. A major constituent of P-bodies is the RNA helicase, DDX6. Interestingly, five different disease missense mutations in DDX6 have been identified which cause intellectual disability, developmental delay and facial dysmorphic features. These mutations impair P-body assembly when tested in cell lines. Drosophila is a powerful model for studying P-body function during development as the genes and molecular mechanisms of embryogenesis are conserved between flies and vertebrates. Therefore, the aim of this project is to use the Drosophila embryo as a model to determine the role of P-bodies in developmental robustness by studying P-bodies in embryos with either wildtype DDX6 or the missense mutations that cause human disease. This project will combine cutting-edge genome editing and single-molecule imaging approaches. Results from this project will reveal how DDX6 human disease mutations affect P-bodies and embryogenesis. Moreover, the results will provide new insights into to the mechanisms underpinning the robustness of embryonic development.

This multidisciplinary project is a collaboration between the labs of Prof Hilary Ashe and Magnus Rattray.