Postdoctoral Position – Cellular Regulation of Basement Membrane Growth

We are offering a fully funded 4-year Postdoctoral position at the Morphomechanics Group in the Living Systems Institute, Exeter, UK. This Wellcome-funded position aims to explore the cellular regulation of Basement Membrane growth using Drosophila melanogaster. The successful candidate will work at the interface of biology and physics, mastering cutting-edge microscopy techniques to create new insights into the growth regulation of Basement Membranes.

About us: Are you excited by the emergence of biological shapes and want to work in an interdisciplinary team and institute? Join us and become a part of the newly established morphomechanics group at Living Systems Institute in Exeter, UK. The group will bring together passionate scientists from diverse backgrounds that share the excitement to unravel the physical concepts shaping growing tissues during morphogenesis. For more information please visit our lab website morphomech.wordpress.com

Your role: We are looking for an enthusiastic Postdoctoral Fellow to join our team. This is a fully-funded position that provides an exciting opportunity to develop innovative imaging techniques such as light-sheet, super-resolution and electron microscopy. The main objective of the project is to study how the Collagen IV network of the basement membrane expands and remodels during tissue growth. The successful candidate will use Drosophila genetics to identify molecular regulators of basement membrane growth and organization. The project will be closely integrated with interdisciplinary collaboration with theorists at LSI to model basement membrane growth and the Physics Department for material characterization of basement membranes.

Relevant Publications: Growth anisotropy of the extracellular matrix shapes a developing organ. Harmansa S.*, Erlich A.*, Eloy C., Zurlo G., Lecuit T., Nat Commun 14, 1220 (2023).   DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36739-y.

Application Process: Interested candidates are invited to contact Stefan Harmansa (s.harmansa@exeter.ac.uk) for informal discussions or questions related the position (please include a CV and a cover letter outlining your research interest and relevant experience).

Please apply through the University of Exeter application system (https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=171839ediw&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=510725j9P6)

Deadline for applications is the 27th of May 2024.