BBSRC White Rose PhD studentship in stem cell biology

Posted by Anestis Tsakiridis, on 15 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

A BBSRC-funded PhD studentship is available for a joint project between the labs of Anestis Tsakiridis (https://www.tsakiridislab.com/) and Dan Bose (http://www.bose-lab.com/) at the University of Sheffield.

Project description:

Non-coding DNA regulatory elements or enhancers control tissue and region-specific expression of critical developmental regulators thus playing a crucial role in the correct formation of the embryonic body. However, not much is known how regionalized gene expression is achieved through enhancer action. The proposed PhD project aims to address this issue using the development of the nervous system as a paradigm. During embryogenesis, the brain and the spinal cord are derived from different progenitors and this process is controlled to a large extent by the transcription factor Sox2. Sox2 expression into these two components of the nervous system is directed by two distinct enhancers, N1 in the spinal cord and N2 in the brain. This PhD project will employ brain and spinal cord progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in order to dissect the function of these two enhancers. Using hPSC differentiation in combination with a variety of techniques including ChiP-seq and CRISPR/Cas9 approaches we aim to:

1) define the molecular hallmarks that may distinguish the N1 and N2 enhancers

2) examine the differential binding of candidate transcription factors on these enhancers

3) identify critical sequence parameters influencing their function.

Funding Notes

– a tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council rate (~£15,009, to be confirmed for 2020) for 4 years
– tuition fees at the UK/EU rate for 4 years.
– research costs

Required qualifications

At least a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent. The interdisciplinary nature of this programme means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any biological, chemical, and/or physical science, students with mathematical backgrounds who are interested in using their skills in addressing biological questions.

Studentships are available to UK and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements. Further information on eligibility: View Website.

Deadline: Monday, January 06, 2020

For informal enquiries contact: a.tsakiridis@sheffield.ac.uk

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs

Navigate the archive

Use our Advanced Search tool to search and filter posts by date, category, tags and authors.

Search now

Filter by popular tags

PhD studentship: Identifying mechanisms for cell division plane orientation in plants

Posted by Jill Harrison, on 13 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

Supervisors: Jill Harrison and Tom Gorochowski

Project Description

Summary: Plant shape is a primary determinant of productivity and yield because it affects light interception and photosynthesis. As plant cells are bound by a cell wall and cannot move, shape arises as an outcome of the plane of new cell divisions, and subsequent cell growth. Flowering plant models such as Arabidopsis have complex tissue organizations that can mask cell division plane defects. There are also many genes per gene family, which can make it hard to identify mutants. For these reasons, few genetic regulators of cell division plane orientation have been discovered. In contrast to flowering plants, mosses have simple tissue organizations and there are few genes per gene family. I established a moss model to study plant cell division plane orientation [1], and recently determined that the CLAVATA receptor-like kinase sets the plane of cell divisions [2, 3]. Although mosses are distantly related to flowering plants, our findings were transferable to Arabidopsis, and we are now manipulating CLAVATA function in wheat to improve productivity [4]. Harnessing the benefits of the moss model, this project aims to discover how CLAVATA determines the plane of cell divisions in plants to affect their overall shape and productivity.

To determine how CLAVATA orients division planes in moss the project will:
1. Identify downstream targets of CLAVATA by RNAseq and bioinformatic analysis
2. Generate mutants of a candidate target and analyse mutant phenotypes
3. Analyse gene regulatory network architecture using computational approaches
4. Identify novel cell division plane regulators using a suppressor screen.

Training: By combining computational and wet lab approaches, the project will provide training at the cutting edge of the plant development field. It will benefit from further formal teaching and internships included in the SWBioDTP programme. The skills and techniques the student will learn will be broadly applicable in the academic biology and biotech sectors and widely transferable amongst areas such as science policy, publishing and computing.

Funding Notes

A fully-funded four year SWBio DTP studentship will cover:
– a stipend* (at the standard UKRI rate; £15,009 per annum for 2019-2020)
– research and training costs
– tuition fees (at the standard UKRI rate)
– additional funds to support fieldwork, conferences and a 3-month internship

References

[1] Harrison et al. 2009. Local cues and asymmetric cell divisions underpin body plan transitions in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Current Biology 19: 1-11.

[2] Whitewoods et al. 2018. CLAVATA was a genetic novelty for the morphological innovation of 3D growth in land plants. Current Biology 28: 2365-2376.

[3] Bergmann 2018. Taking development to three dimensions. Developmental Cell 17: 678-679.

[4] Fletcher 2018. The CLV-WUS stem cell signaling pathway: a roadmap to crop yield optimization. Plants 7: 87.

How to apply

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs, Uncategorized

CASE PhD studentship: Intercepting CLAVATA receptor-like kinase function to engineer ear size in wheat

Posted by Jill Harrison, on 13 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

Supervisors: Jill Harrison, Keith Edwards and Chris Burt (RAGT Seeds)

Project Description

Summary: Ensuring continuous global food security will be a major challenge of the 21st century, and wheat contributes approximately 20% of the total calories consumed by humans (FAO, 2017). In cereals like wheat, inflorescence (ear) size determines the number of flowers (florets) and grains produced, and this aspect of plant architecture is regulated by the activity of stem cells in the growing shoot tips. The CLAVATA peptide/ receptor-like kinase signalling pathway maintains the size of the stem cell pool during plant development, and mutants in maize and tomato have increased yields, arising due to an increase in size of the stem cell pool. This project aims to intercept wheat CLAVATA signalling to engineer ears with more fertile grain sites and increase yield.

The project will involve:

(1) Identification of wheat CLAVATA pathway components
(2) Expression analyses of wheat CLAVATA pathway components
(3) Generation phenotypic analysis of wheat CLAVATA pathway mutants.

Dr Harrison’s group has recently published gene trees for CLAVATA pathway components from a range of land plants (Whitewoods et al. (2018)), and she has experience of analysing gene expression patterns and function in a wide range of plant species. Professor Edwards and colleagues from the Bristol Centre for Agricultural Innovation have extensive experience with wheat having sequenced the genome (Brenchley et al. (2012)), identified many mutants from the exome sequenced Cadenza TILLING mutant population (Krasileva et al. (2017)) and established engineering procedures using CRISPR/Cas9. The CASE partnership with RAGT seeds will bring an opportunity for the student to directly experience wheat breeding and exchange knowledge and findings with wheat growers.

Training: By combining computational and wet lab approaches, your project work will provide training at the cutting edge of the plant development field. You will benefit from further formal teaching and internships included in the SWBioDTP programme. The skills and techniques you learn will be broadly applicable in the academic biology and biotech sectors and widely transferable amongst areas such as science policy, publishing and computing.

Funding Notes

A fully-funded four year SWBio DTP studentship will cover:

– a stipend* (at the standard UKRI rate; £15,009 per annum for 2019-2020)
– research and training costs
– tuition fees (at the standard UKRI rate)
– additional funds to support fieldwork, conferences and a 3-month internship

This is a CASE DTP studentship. As part of the programme, you will be required to undertake a placement with the CASE partner for a minimum of 3 months.

References

Brenchley et al. (2012). Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Nature 491: 705-710. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAOSTAT statistics database, Food balance sheets (2017); www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS. Krasileva et al. (2017). Uncovering hidden variation in polyploid wheat. PNAS 114: E913-E921. Whitewoods et al. 2018. CLAVATA was a genetic novelty for the morphological innovation of 3D growth in land plants. Current Biology 28: 2365-2376.

How to apply

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs, Uncategorized

PhD position available investigating exosomes for diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Posted by Iain Dykes, on 12 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

PhD position available at Liverpool John Moores University, starting Feb 2020. Extraction of exosomes from maternal blood for analysis of miRNA cargo and glycoprotein epitopes.

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/identification-of-blood-biomarkers-for-antenatal-diagnosis-of-a-common-congenital-heart-defect-tetralogy-of-fallot/?p115029

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs

Postdoctoral positions in Neurobiology

Posted by Fabienne Poulain, on 12 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

The Poulain lab (www.poulainlab.org) at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC seeks talented and motivated postdocs! We use zebrafish as a vertebrate model system and a unique combination of genetic, embryological and live imaging approaches to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of axon guidance and degeneration during the formation of neural circuits in vivo. Specific projects include single-cell topographic transcriptomics and the formation of topographic maps, role of neural activity in topographic map plasticity, role of cell adhesion in axon developmental degeneration, and spatio-temporal control of trans-axonal degeneration signaling.

Candidates should hold a PhD in neurobiology or neuroscience and have a strong interest in neural development. Significant experience in molecular biology, genetics and fluorescence imaging approaches is required. Experience with zebrafish is desired but not mandatory. Interested candidates should email their resume/CV, the names and contact information of 3 references, and a cover letter explaining their interest to fpoulain@mailbox.sc.edu

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Tags: axon, brain wiring, zebrafish
Categories: Jobs

Ph.D Studentships in Developmental Biology, Stem Cell Biology and Cancer Biology

Posted by Karen Liu, on 12 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

NEUCrest Ph.D Studentships in Developmental Biology, Stem Cell Biology and Cancer Biology

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for full-time fixed term positions as Early Stage Researchers in the lab of Prof Karen Liu, King’s College London (karen.liu@kcl.ac.uk), Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King’s College London.

These positions are funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union and will be available from 1st January 2020. Appointments will be on a full-time basis for a period of 3 years. Remuneration will be in line with the European Commission rules for Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant holders (Early-Stage Researchers, Initial Training Network).

NEUcrest is a four-year EU Horizon 2020 project funded by Agreement 860635. The neural crest is an essential stem cell population of vertebrate embryos. The project focuses on integrating academic, clinical and industrial research for a better understanding of neural crest development and neural crest related diseases. These pathologies are a major group of congenital diseases in human, and a heavy societal concern. The NEUcrest network comprises 20 partners in academia, industry and hospitals from seven European countries, gathered in a synergistic effort to advance knowledge and outreach of these diseases.

The Ph.D projects are highly multidisciplinary and will develop scientific strategies from experimental embryology, genome editing, imaging and generation of genomic datasets. A full list of projects and partners:

https://science.institut-curie.org/research/biology-chemistry-of-radiations-cell-signaling-and-cancer-axis/umr-3347-normal-and-pathological-signaling/team-monsoro-burq/european-neucrest-itn-network/

PhD Projects available through the lab of Prof Karen Liu, King’s College London:

PROJECT 1: The Role of ALK and GSK3 in normal and pathogenic neural crest migration. This project led by Prof Karen Liu (King’s College London) and Prof Angela Nieto (UMH, Spain). Applications see: https://tinyurl.com/yycpnlxj

Person Specification: First degree or Masters in Biological Sciences, Cell Biology, Genetics and Molecular Biology. Mobility requirement: EU applicants are eligible to apply. Applicants must not have been based in the country of registration for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.

Start date: Positions are available from 1^st January 2020. Informal enquiries to Prof Karen Liu (karen.liu@kcl.ac.uk)

To Apply: Applications, in English, should include a detailed CV, certificates of examination grades (bachelor/master), a letter describing your career goals, skills and experience, as well as two letters of recommendation. Applications: https://tinyurl.com/yycpnlxj. Informal inquiries may be made to karen.liu@kcl.ac.uk. Deadline for applications is 15 November 2019, or until posts are filled.

PROJECT 2: Generation of neural crest cells from patient-derived hiPSCs for disease modelling and therapeutic applications. This industrial project will be led Dr Erin Knock and Dr Wing Chang with student based at STEMCell Technologies, Cambridge UK. Academic registration and supervision by the lab of Prof Karen Liu (King’s College London).

Applications, see: https://jobs.stemcell.com/job/cambridge/early-stage-researcher/8172/13717239

PROJECT 3: Establishment of human iPSCs from syndromic neurocristopathy patients with skeletal dysplasia This project is suitable for a clinical or suitably qualified non-clinical PhD student and is led by Prof Irene Mathijssen (email to i.mathijssen@erasmusmc.nl Erasmus Medical Centre, Netherlands) with secondment to Prof Karen Liu (King’s College London) and STEMCell Tech, Cambridge UK and Phenocell, France.

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Tags: cancer, neural crest, PhD, stem cells
Categories: Careers, Funding, Jobs, Uncategorized

PhD DTP opportunity: Cell Biology, Univ. Manchester

Posted by Andreas Prokop, on 11 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

Definition of integrin signalling networks underlying neuron growth in vivo

Application deadline: 31 January 2020
Application info: LINK
Project enquiries:

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) of the plasma membrane physically tie cells together into tissues, both via interaction of cells with other cells or with ECM (extracellular matrix); they also constitute hubs of information exchange with neighbouring cells and the environment. CAMs mediate a broad range of biological functions and their aberration contributes to a range of diseases, such as cancer progression or aberrant growth/regeneration of nerves.

On this project, you will study integrins, which are the major adhesion receptor class for extracellular matrices.Integrin signalling is performed by its adhesome, the dynamic population of proteins that link integrins both to the cytoskeleton and to signalling pathways via the cytoplasmic tails of the receptors. The composition and functional state of integrin-associated complexes essentially determines the adhesion state and signalling output.

To understand this, Martin Humphries has long-standing expertise in using proteomics based on mass spectrometry as a means to identify components of the integrin adhesome and study their function in mammalian cell culture [1]. On this project, you will extend such approaches to brain tissues in the living organism and study the function of identified proteins in the context of nerve growth.

For this, you will capitalise on the expertise of Andreas Prokop, who uses neurons of the fruit fly Drosophila to study mechanisms of nerve growth [2]. In this functional context, his team discovered and analysed important roles of integrins and some of their conventional adhesome components (new unpublished results). The small size and genetic tractability of Drosophila makes it feasible to perform proteomics on integrin adhesion complexes extracted from nerve cells of living organisms.

Once candidate components have been identified, you will then be able to capitalise on highly efficient genetic means provided by Drosophila to study their functional contributions during nerve growth [2] – potentially identifying promising drug targets for nerve regeneration therapies. A likely option will be the extension of such functional studies into mammalian models.

Your experimental skill training opportunities will include molecular biology, protein biochemistry, mass spectrometry, genetics, cell biology, a range of imaging techniques, bioinformatics, as well as insights into important concepts of the cell and neurobiology fields. In addition, AP is an expert in science communication providing further training opportunities important for your career development.

[1] Horton, E.R., et al. (2015) Nature Cell Biol. 17: 1577-1587.

[2] Prokop, A., et al. (2013) J. Cell Sci. 126: 2331-2341.

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Tags: axon growth, Drosophila, nervous system, regeneration
Categories: Careers, Jobs

PhD position – Emergence of functional polarity in a tubular epithelium

Posted by Barry Denholm, on 11 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

Epithelial tubes often have a functional polarity written along their proximo-distal (P-D) axis, with different segments of specialised cell-types carrying out distinct physiological activities. With a handful of notable exceptions, we know very little about how P-D axes and segment-specific differentiation are regulated during organogenesis.

The major objective of this project is to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms that pattern and maintain functional polarity along the P-D axis in a structurally simple, but functionally sophisticated epithelial tube: the insect renal tubule. Approaches will include: state-of-the-art imaging, single cell RNAseq, genetics, physiological assays and in silico modelling.

The project will be carried out in the laboratory of Barry Denholm (Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh)

A recent example of our work from a related project: Beaven, R. and Denholm, B (2018) Release and spread of Wingless is required to pattern the proximo-distal axis of Drosophila renal tubules eLife 2018;7:e35373 https://elifesciences.org/articles/35373

About the lab and department:

https://www.ed.ac.uk/discovery-brain-sciences/our-staff/research-groups/barry-denholm

https://denholmlab.wordpress.com

https://twitter.com/denholmlab

Further information about the project and details of how to apply:

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/eastbio-emergence-of-functional-polarity-in-a-tubular-epithelium/?p114665

http://www.eastscotbiodtp.ac.uk/how-apply-0

PhD Position

Please contact me if you’d like further information (Barry.Denholm@ed.ac.uk)

Closing Date: 5^th January 2020

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs

Postdoc Position at EMBL Barcelona – Human Time vs. Mouse Time in Development

Posted by Miki Ebisuya, on 8 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

Miki Ebisuya’s research group at EMBL Barcelona is looking for a postdoctoral fellow who tackles a mystery in developmental biology: why larger animal species tend to show slower time. Why is the gestation period of humans ~9 months while that of mice is only 20 days? What are the molecular mechanisms of such inter-species timing differences?

Thanks to in vitro differentiation of iPS/ES cells, we can now recapitulate several developmental processes of diverse species, including humans. Thus, our plan is to systematically measure biochemical parameters, such as degradation rates, by using proteomics and RNAseq, and to compare them among species.

We are looking for a person who will carry out both cell biology experiments and high throughput data analyses (both can be taught by current lab members and collaborators). For more information, see the job description/application page.

Lab website

https://www.embl.es/research/unit/ebisuya/index.html

Reference paper

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/650648v1

Job description/application page

https://www.embl.de/jobs/searchjobs/index.php?ref=BA00047&newlang=1&pos[]=0&loc[]=7

* This is a position supported by EMBL internal grant as well as PGC2018-097872-A-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU) and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, EU).

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs

Post Doc position in the Campbell Lab – epithelial cell plasticity during development and cancer metastasis

Posted by Kyra Campbell, on 8 November 2019

Closing Date: 15 March 2021

A Wellcome Trust/Royal Society funded Research Associate position is available in Dr. Kyra Campbell’s research group. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Campbell group, who are focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial cell plasticity during development and disease. We study this during morphogenesis of the Drosophila midgut (Campbell et al, Dev Cell 2011; Campbell and Casanova, Nat Comms 2015), and also in exciting Drosophila cancer models that we have recently generated (Campbell and Casanova, Plos Genetics 2018; Campbell et al, Nat Comms 2019).

We are combining single-cell OMICs approaches and deep-tissue imaging on our own labs dedicated multiphoton confocal microscope, with genetic approaches and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic candidate who will play a central role in the lab. You must have a good honours degree and a PhD (or be close to completion) in areas relevant to cell/developmental biology (or have equivalent experience), along with experience in in vivo imaging and image analysis. Applicants are expected to have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be highly independent and committed to research in a fast-moving and competitive field.

https://cellplasticity.weebly.com

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/bms/research/campbell

To apply go to: https://tinyurl.com/y6aj8yx9

(1 votes)

Loading...

Categories: Jobs