Control of cilia polarity in the Placozoan Trichoplax
Posted by Andrea Pasini, on 16 April 2024
Job type: PhD
Location: Marselles, France
Closing Date: 13 May 2024
We are looking for strongly motivated candidates wishing to apply for an Aix-Marseille University PhD fellowship to work on the control of ciliary polarity in the emerging model Trichoplax adhaerens.
Trichoplax is a small, flat marine animal that lacks symmetry axis, organs, muscles and a nervous system. Its epithelium is covered in thousands of beating cilia that allow it to glide on solid substrates. Trichoplax can change its shape and direction of movement in few seconds but nothing is currently known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the polarization of cilia and its fast, coordinated reorientation.
The proposed project combines biological and computational approaches to address this question. In particular, we will: 1) identify the molecular actors of global coordinated polarity reorientation; 2) define the long-range signaling mechanisms that transduce the reorientation cue. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the actin cytoskeleton, the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathway and Calcium-mediated signaling.
Salary: 1600€/month net
Start date: 1 October 2024
Closing Date: 13 May 2024
Scientific fields: Cell biology, Computational and systems biology, Morphogenesis, Patterning, Quantitative biology and modelling
Model systems: Other invertebrate
Duration: Fixed term
Minimum qualifications: Applicants should have a background in developmental or cell biology, with a strong interest in quantitative aspects of biology. The project is suitable for biologists with a strong interest in quantitative biology, or physicists with a strong motivation to perform biological experiments. A passion for studying the evolution of marine organisms and prior knowledge of the fundamentals of planar polarity signalling would be an advantage. The ability to communicate in English is mandatory.