PhD position “Mechanisms controlling Stem Cells in brain development: the role of non-coding RNAs” – Cremer Lab, IBDM, France, Marseille

The Cremer team is welcoming application for a PhD student position to unravel how non-coding RNAs control stem cell maintenance and differentiation during neurogenesis.

Research Background:

Neurogenesis is a temporally and quantitatively highly balanced process which has to be tightly regulated, as even small alterations can have severe consequences for development or lead to brain cancer. For example, glioblastoma, the most devastating type of brain tumor, starts with mutations and subsequent molecular deregulations in postnatal and adult neural stem cells. 

The precision of the neurogenic process in the normal situation, and its safeguarding against defects, is stunning and poses several important questions. For example, what controls which neural stem cells remain silent and which enter proliferation? How do proliferating cells count their divisions before becoming post-mitotic? How is terminal differentiation induced?

Research Objectives:

The proposed project is focusing on the regulatory role of non-coding RNAs in the precise control of cellular processes during neurogenesis in mice. Specifically, the candidate will investigate the interactions and in vivo functions of T-UCstem1 and miR-9 in neural stem cell activation and the control of proliferation (1). Experimental design will include a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art techniques, particularly mouse transgenesis, CRISPR/CAS9 technology, single cell sequencing, in vivo brain electroporation and biphoton/confocal microscopy.

Research Environment:

The host team has a long-range experience on neurogenesis, microRNA biology and mouse genetics and is recognized for its expertise in in vivo brain electroporation (2-4). The PhD student will benefit from state-of-the-art tools and platforms available within the institute and on campus. The candidate will be supported by the team members at the scientific and technical level.

Your Profile:

The candidate must have a basic knowledge of genetics, cellular and molecular biology. Knowledge in neurodevelopment and skills in confocal microscopy will be helpful. He/she will apply animal (mouse) experimentation procedures.

Please send your CV, a letter of motivation and contacts for references to: nathalie.core@univ-amu.fr.

References :

1) Pascale, E, Béclin, C et al. (2020). Stem cell reports, 15, 1-9
2) Coré, N et al (2020). eLife, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.58215
3) Béclin, C et al. (2016) Scientific Reports 6, 35729.
4) de Chevigny A, Coré N et al (2012). Nature Neuroscience 15,1120–1126.