Senior Research Associate

Functional analysis of AGMO: an unexpected modulator of Wnt signalling and embryogenesis.
We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated researcher to investigate the role of post-translational lipid modifications in canonical Wnt signalling in a BBSRC funded study. The project will focus on understanding the regulation and significance of these lipid modifications, especially in developmental contexts, such as cardiac, craniofacial and somite development. Specifically, we recently discovered that alkylglycerol monooxygenase (AGMO), the only enzyme known to cleave ether lipids, is required for normal embryonic development. However, the mechanisms by which it regulates Wnt signalling remain unknown. The project will identify how AGMO mutation affects downstream lipid metabolism and test whether fatty acid supplementation can prevent or ameliorate disease phenotypes. This work will thus explore a fundamental process in basic biology – the poorly understood role of lipid processing in signal transduction, and leverage the knowledge gained to develop strategies to improve human health.

You will join a lively team of researchers, recognised in the field of embryonic development and Wnt signalling. The project is co-led by Professors Andrea Münsterberg and Grant Wheeler and benefits from interactions with Dr John Griffin at Genomics England. The groups are well funded by UKRI and the British Heart Foundation and located in the School of Biological Sciences on the UEA campus.

You will perform experimental work and lead on analysis, with regular reporting to the team. You will also maintain collaborative interactions with international collaborators based in Germany and the US.