In the very earliest stages of life, mammalian cells multiply and form the embryo. New research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that this process might be much simpler than we thought. The development of the embryo can be cut down to the cell’s ability to count their neighboring cells.
The article ‘Four simple rules that are sufficient to generate the mammalian blastocyst’ is a product of StemPhys, a new multi-disciplinary initiative between The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and the Niels Bohr Institute funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. The work is published in the journal PLoS Biology.
See more here: http://danstem.ku.dk/news/the-earliest-stages-of-life-might-be-simpler-than-we-thought/
Each year at the International C. elegans Conference Ahna Skop organises a Worm Art Show with winners selected by the meeting participants (find out more about the history of the show here).
2017’s winners have just been announced – read about them over at the GSA’s Genes to Genomes blog(a great site for your bookmarks if you haven’t visited it already!).
The Best in Show this year was won by Beata Mierzwa’s Bond-themed image (Beata told us all about her awesome art last year)
This highly-detailed image of the central nervous system from a horned dung beetle (Onthophagus sagittarius) was captured with a laser-scanning confocal microscope. Imaged during the late pupa stage, this beetle was about to complete metamorphosis. The optic lobes (top) are in the process of growing and extending towards the outer surface of the head to form a pair of compound eyes. Different colored fluorescent labels were used to visualize the distribution of a structural protein (red), the neurotransmitter serotonin (green), and genetic material (blue). This image is from a National Science Foundation-supported research project on the evolution of novel and complex traits. By Eduardo Zattara, Armin Moczek, Jim Powers, Jonathan Cherry, and Matthew Curtis
o form new tissues and structures during development, populations of cells move, often over long distances. This movement, called cell migration, is highly coordinated across space and time. This zebrafish (Danio rerio) larva was labeled with red fluorescent molecules to identify the migrating cells that will compose the surface of the fish’s skin, or epithelium. Genetic material (blue) and, in a subset of cells, a structural protein (green) were also labeled. Although this image is of a fixed zebrafish, the research group is using live imaging to observe the movement of these cell populations in real time. Drs. Ruiz and Eisenhoffer are researching cell migration to better understand normal facial development as well as the genetic mutations in humans that lead to congenital birth defects such as cleft lip and palate. By Oscar Ruiz and George Eisenhoffer
Spinal cord injuries often lead to lifelong disabilities. To achieve functional recovery, the nerve pathways that were damaged must be reconnected. One potential solution is to induce the nerve stem cells already present in the adult spinal cord to reestablish these connections. This requires activating the stem cells to grow long extensions while simultaneously preventing the formation of scar tissue, which can block these extensions. This image from a NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering-supported study shows a mouse nerve cell (blue/green) on a synthetic nanofiber gel (purple) designed to mimic healthy spinal cord tissue. The nerve cell has grown long extensions (green) into the gel. The researchers found that injecting these nanofibers at the site of a spinal cord injury reduced scar formation and helped to restore hind leg function in mice. By Mark McClendon, Zaida Alvarez Pinto, and Samuel I. Stupp
Proper bone and cartilage development is critical to support body structure and protect vital organs. For example, the skull supports and protects the brain while the ribs protect the heart, lungs, liver, and spleen. As seen in this image of mice at different developmental stages, bone (green) and cartilage (reddish-orange) formation begins during the embryonic period (far left) and continues throughout adolescence (far right). The NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research supports this research program on genetic mutations that cause abnormal skeletal formation and underlie many congenital birth defects. By William Munoz, Karla Terrazas, and Paul Trainor
C-shaped rings of cartilage (red) give the trachea, or windpipe, its shape and strength. Because all oxygen that reaches the lungs must first pass through the trachea, its structural integrity is essential to human life. In conditions like tracheomalacia, malformation of the cartilage weakens the trachea, leading to airway collapse. The NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute supports this research project on identifying the signals that prompt developing cartilage to segment into C-shaped rings. This image from a mouse is helping the investigators examine the organization of nerve cells (green) and their potential role in directing cartilage (red) formation. By Randee Young and Xin Sun
“Show us and the world the art of light microscopy and illustrate the details of life with your most beautiful image.”
Deadline for entries is 31st October
Royal Society Photography Competition
This competition is “open to scientists, and winning entries are chosen according to 2 key criteria: they should be aesthetically pleasing, and convey an interesting scientific phenomenon.” Deadline is 31st August, more details here.
Among the categories, ‘Micro-imaging’ is probably the best bet for developmental biologists! Here’s a couple of runners up of last year’s competition:
Runner up: Micro-imaging. “The spiralled snake axis” by Tyler Square. During early growth and development, most vertebrate animals look quite similar. Here, in this image of a one-day post-oviposition African house snake (Boaedon fuliginosus), we see many features that tie all vertebrates together: pharyngeal arches surrounding the mouth and throat (with gill slits between them), muscle segments (called somites) which will eventually contribute to the spine and musculature, and a chambered heart connected to a closed circulatory system to move oxygen and nutrients to tissues. During and after these stages, the novelties specific to a species or lineage begin to develop – here the 5mm long elongated body of the snake develops as a spiral to fit inside the egg.
Runner up: Evolutionary Biology. “Polychaetous worm with engine and wagons” by Fredrik Pleijel. This trainworm (Myrianida pinnigera), which is 35mm from head to tail, lives on the sea floor. Its front end, the trainworm’s engine, is followed by a row of carriages called ‘stolons’ that increase in size towards the worm’s tail end. The carriages are the worm’s swimming sexual organs. When the trainworm is mature, the last carriage in the train lets go and detaches. It swims up the water column to reproduce. The carriages, unlike the engine, all lack a gut and are full of either sperm or eggs. In the water column the well-developed sensory organs seek out another stolon to mate with. After mating the male stolons die. The females survive a short time to shelter the embryos, which are carried in their bellies. Meanwhile, the trainworm on the sea floor continues to produce stolon carriages.
A Postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory led by Ricardo Mallarino, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University (www.mallarinolab.org). The lab focuses on uncovering the genetic and developmental mechanisms by which form and structure are generated during vertebrate embryogenesis. We combine the study of emerging and traditional model organisms to explore questions relating to patterning and evolution of novelty in the mammalian skin. The lab uses a variety of approaches, including experimental embryology, genetics, genomics, imaging, and mathematical modelling to uncover gene function and understand mechanisms of evolutionary change.
The lab is currently focusing on two model systems: striped rodents and gliding mammals. Available projects include:
Spatial control of genes implementing stripe patterns
Molecular mechanisms of stripe pattern specification
Comparative genomics and evolution of pigment patterns
Molecular mechanisms of gliding membrane formation and evolutionary genomics of gliding
While the position entails working on one of these areas, the candidate is expected/encouraged to take a leading role in the conceptual and experimental design of the project. In addition, there will be significant opportunities for pursuing original ideas that fall within the general focus of the lab.
Applicants with a strong background in developmental biology, genetics/genomics, and/or molecular/cell biology are encouraged to apply. A Ph.D. in these disciplines is preferred, however candidates holding a Ph.D. in other areas that have strong laboratory and/or bioinformatics skills will also be considered. Prior experience with experimental embryology, cell/tissue culture, and microscopy would be very beneficial. However, necessary training will be provided for a motivated candidate. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work independently or in collaboration are essential.
To apply for this position please submit a CV, a cover letter describing research interests, and contact information for three references who can comment on your research to rmallarino(at)princeton.edu. Applications will be reviewed promptly until the position is filled. Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer and complies with applicable EEO and affirmative action regulations.
Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCSF.
An NIH funded postdoctoral fellow position is immediately available in the Knox Lab at the University of California, San Francisco (http://profiles.ucsf.edu/sarah.knox).
The Knox Lab aims to define fundamental mechanisms underlying the development, regeneration and aging of exocrine organs including salivary and lacrimal glands and the pancreas. In addition to our staple tools of mouse genetics, fetal organ culture and 3D imaging, we utilize a number of cutting edge approaches including organoids, live cell imaging, epigenetic assays (ATAC-seq) and single cell sequencing. The candidate will utilize these tools to discover how exocrine organs develop, regenerate and age in response to cues from the autonomic and sensory nervous systems. Desired skills and experience
Our lab is looking for highly motivated candidates with a recent PhD and a record of productive research as evidenced by at least 1 published manuscript in a peer reviewed international journal.
Candidates with previous experience in molecular biology, organogenesis, epigenetics, and/or mouse models are preferred.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and the ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team are a precondition.
Please submit your cover letter, CV/resume including list of publications and names and contact information for 3 references to: sarah.knox@ucsf.edu
Here we highlight some developmental biology related content from other journals published by The Company of Biologists.
Jacky Goetz, who works on intravital imaging methods and biomechanical forces during tumour development, was featured as a Cell Scientist to Watch
David Bryant andAaron Johnson reported from The Company of Biologists’ workshop ‘Intercellular interactions in context: towards a mechanistic understanding of cells in organs’
George, et al. find that amphiregulin is not required for reprogramming non-mammary stem cells to a mammary cell fate
Fišerová, et al. combine super-resolution microscopy with robust image analyses to discern the organization of chromatin at nuclear pore complexes
Lange, et al. show that phosphatase PP2A is dysfunctional in tw18 mutant mice, and essential for Nodal and WNT signaling in the epiblast.
Tomankova, et al. describe how embryonic epidermis development is influenced by nitric oxide, where it has been linked to the development of ionocytes, multi-ciliated cells and small secretory cells.
Campla, et al. show that loss of Pias3 in mice results in altered dorso-ventral patterning of retinal cone photoreceptors by modulating the expression of a subset of genes, but does not affect rod development.
Villiard, et al. report the presence of senescent cells in several transient structures in developing amphibian and teleost fish, suggesting novel mechanisms of morphogenesis that appeared early in vertebrate evolution
Strassman, et al. report the first targeting of an invertible gene trap to generate a conditional Prdm16 mouse allele and its use to assess phenotypic consequences of Prdm16 loss during craniofacial and brain development.
Goyal, et al. combine microfluidics, live imaging and systems biology to develop a new approach for the functional analysis of sequence variants in the highly conserved Ras signaling pathway
An interview with Bauer Fellow and L’Oréal Women in Science Laureate Lauren O’Connell talks about her research, outreach and the position of women in science.
As any early career researcher will know, attending your first big scientific meeting is a memorable event in your academic life. Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Gordon Research Conference in Developmental Biology, held in sleepy South Hadley, two hours outside Boston, Massachusetts. For anyone who wasn’t local, the two hour drive from the airport to the conference site was an ordeal, but the welcome was worth it. The GRC ran an intensive scientific programme of seminars, discussion and poster sessions, held over five days. A Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) also ran over the weekend preceding the conference, exclusively for graduate students and postdocs to interact and present their research in a non-intimidating environment. Sessions spanned kingdoms, with researchers studying both animal and plant models. The themes were varied, and included evo-devo, organoids, and stem cells, as well as the usual suspects such as signalling and gene regulation.
Accommodation building at Mt Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. This was the venue for the conference this year
In my opinion, running a conference with such a broad title was inspired. For a conference series where meetings often have very specific themes (browse through the list of past events on the GRC website and you will understand what I mean), running an event simply called ‘Developmental Biology’ drew people from all corners of the field. By keeping the title broad, no single mechanism or way of thinking dominated, and in fact several commonalities emerging in the talks were identified in the discussion. For example, the role of mechanical force in development was a recurring mechanism whether you worked on plants, Planarians or people! Perhaps the fact that this theme emerged despite no pre-meditated effort to select talks based around it, means it better reflects where the field is going and what questions are of interest to scientists.
Like at other GRCs, presentation of unpublished work was the star of the show. Speakers of all seniorities did a wonderful job of presenting new and exciting data and hypotheses, making a young researcher like me feel that I was learning things at the cutting edge.
The meeting was also useful to get feedback on published work too.
Publishing a paper can be a lonely experience. You spend years of your life perfecting and revising, then as soon as a manuscript is accepted and released you are left with an eerie silence, a vacuum, while the field digests the data. Apart from a smattering of mentions on social media, post-publication feedback from peers is virtually non-existent for biologists. Yet, when I arrived at the conference it was clear that people had read my paper. Some had even studied for their lab’s journal club! It meant something. Meetings such as the GRC give the community somewhere to exchange ideas. Not only are you there to present your research and absorb the work of others, but also to receive general and specific feedback from scientists across the community- who after all, are your target audience. Many of my most fruitful discussions and interactions happened over breakfast rather than during the seminar sessions themselves.
Several unsurprising topics kept cropping up in talk after talk. Developmental biologists have always been obsessed with pattern formation, and this is certainly not about to change. The field is moving towards computation, and molecular studies are becoming more and more sensitive as everyone who’s anyone seems to be doing single-cell RNA-seq!
The college was surrounded by beautiful wooded countryside and ponds with waterfowl. A peaceful spot to mull over tough scientific questions!
Overall, the atmosphere at the meeting was friendly, fostering open discussion rather than feeling cliquey or competitive. Senior Professors and PhD students were free to interact, and did so. Talking about science, whether it was answering specific questions about my project, or talking about big challenges and how to approach them freed from the shackles of using a particular model organism, technique, or experimental design was fun!
By the end of the week, it is fair to say that the intense schedule began to take its toll, but everyone I spoke to was leaving having learned something, and having been surprised by something. To choose a single stand-out speaker would be impossible, but the quality of the talks were excellent. Even though the meeting was small, with perhaps fewer than one hundred attendees, the GRC did a great job at making researchers across disciplines feel part of the same community. The spirit of the conference was to share ideas, and I came away feeling inspired by people working in areas far removed from my own. After all, as developmental biologists, we are interested in the same fundamental questions, we just use different systems to answer them.
The Schröterlab at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund is inviting applications for a guest junior scientist (postdoc level).
Our group works in the area of quantitative stem cell biology, asking how cell signaling regulates cell fate decisions at the single cell and the population level. We use embryonic stem cells as an accessible model system, and apply long-term time-lapse imaging in combination with quantitative data analysis to develop predictive models for cell fate decisions. The goal of this project will be to visualize and quantitatively measure cell communication via the FGF/ERK pathway in individual cells, using an embryonic stem cell model for an early fate decision of mammalian embryogenesis (Schröter et al., Development, 2015).
We are looking for recent graduates with a PhD in cell or developmental biology or a related discipline. A quantitative mindset and the willingness to collaborate with theoreticians are essential.
At the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, an international team of scientists from more than 30 nations investigates the basic physical and biochemical processes in cells at the molecular level. The institute is located in the wonderful Ruhr area, the “Ruhrgebiet”. Once famous for its industrial culture and coal mining, in recent years the Ruhrgebiet has transformed into a vibrating and productive science environment. The Ruhr area is home of over 5 million people from over 200 countries, being the largest urban centre of Germany, and the third largest in Europe, after Paris and London. Apart from many theatres and other cultural sites, the region is home to many successful soccer teams, most notably the Dortmund team Borussia.
Those of us who go to the gym are accustomed to thinking of mechanical forces shaping our bodies. Physiological (e.g. determination of bone mass and architecture), pathological (e.g. aneurysm rupture) and even socio-cultural (e.g. lip plates of the Mursi tribe) examples come to mind. The form of most of our organs is templated during embryonic morphogenesis, during which the embryo folds and contorts itself into complex shapes. Origami-like folding of the neuroepithelium to form the neural tube, the embryonic precursor of the central nervous system, has long served as a paradigm of morphogenesis. This process of primary neurulation is fundamentally biomechanical; in mammals it requires progressive tissue-level shape changes to proceed. Failure of these processes, such as insufficient folding of the neuroepithelium at “hinge points”1, are associated with failure of neural tube closure resulting in neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida. Determining the biomechanics of neural tube closure is therefore a key aim both to understand this fundamental morphogenetic process, and identify causes of NTDs. Here we describe how we have begun to tease apart the biomechanics of neural tube closure in the mammalian spinal region, as recently reported2.
Figure 1 Schematic illustration of a mammalian PNP. The schematic on top is oriented in the tail to head direction as indicated. Schematic cross-sections below illustrate the relationship of the neuroepithelium (NE) to the pre-somitic mesoderm (PM), non-neural ectoderm (NNE) and notochord (NC). The NE bends at a median hinge point (MHP) and paired dorso-lateral hinge points (DLHP). Based on [3] and [2].
Neural tube closure is a multistep process that requires the coordinated activity of cells of different origins3. It starts with bending of the flat neural plate, creating two opposing neural folds, which progressively elevate and fuse (Figure 1). The fusion process requires the formation of cellular protrusions by non-neural ectoderm cells at the neural fold tips4. These protrusions reach across the midline and “zipper” down the length of the embryo. Zippering reduces the length of the open region of the neural plate, referred to as the posterior neuropore (PNP, Figure 2), as development progresses. PNP length is therefore commonly measured as a readout of the progression of neurulation, and differences in PNP length are extremely useful in identifying developmental stages at which neurulation becomes disrupted. However, in our recent paper we focused on the “perpendicular” process of neural fold apposition, which narrows the PNP. Progressive PNP narrowing also occurs as development progresses, but it has been less intensively studied in recent years.
Figure 2 Representative phalloidin-stained mouse PNP showing the F-actin cable (arrow heads) which biomechanically couples the zippering point (*) to the constricting open region. Fire LUT used to highlight F-actin enrichment at the cable and apical surface of the PNP cells. Scale bar = 100 µm for the PNP, the white box on the embryo image inset shows the PNP region.
Whereas significant progress has been made in characterizing the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying primary neurulation, how these mechanisms biomechanically orchestrate tissue-level shape change is still poorly understood. In our recent review on the topic3 we emphasized that most of the previous work on neurulation biomechanics has been carried out in lower vertebrates and less is known about mammalian neurulation. Lessons learned in simpler models, such as Xenopus5,6 and Ciona7, have substantially advanced our understanding of neurulation as an evolutionarily conserved process. However, extrapolating mechanisms from these models to higher vertebrates must be done with caution given marked differences in the structure of their neural plate and timing over which neurulation occurs3. Thus, our recent paper builds on findings from these simpler models and provides a uniquely mammalian view of the mechanics of primary neurulation.
How the study developed and evolved
Our study started several years ago when Professor Andrew Copp used a glass needle to incise the zippering point in a mouse embryo so as to generate a mechanical model of spina bifida. Unexpectedly, he observed that zippering point incisions caused the neural folds to instantly flip apart, suggesting tension within the surrounding tissue had been pulling them into a more lateral position. This intriguing observation in itself suggested that neural tube closure does not progress through the medial convergence of lateral tissues pushing the folds together as, if that had been the case, incising the zippering point would not have resulted in lateral displacement of the neural folds. Dr Young June Cho, the paper’s second author, bravely took on this finding during his PhD, confirming and expanding the initial observation. However, this model was limited by having to physically incise the neural tube, which carries the potential of inadvertently moving the neural folds. Although physical approaches to testing biomechanics, such as measuring expansion of microsurgical slits8, have been used extensively, we wanted to move towards using less physically invasive methods, namely laser ablation. This became possible in part thanks to the acquisition of a new multiphoton microscope with a Mai Tai laser so powerful it can (accidentally!) set fire to paper, and in part thanks to optimisation of live-embryo positioning and manipulation methods. Laser ablations allowed us to ablate long (>300 µm) lines of tissue from the zippering point along the embryo’s dorsal midline.
This laser ablation method used throughout the paper was set up by the study’s first author, Dr Gabriel Galea, who joined the group on a Wellcome Trust postdoctoral fellowship specifically designed to work on this project. Gabriel had previously collaborated with Prof Copp’s group during his PhD, which was on skeletal cellular mechanobiology. Although the change of fields from bone to neural tube biology was not easy, being a veterinarian he has ample practice in applying knowledge from one situation to another (cats are not small dogs and ferrets are not small cats, but the considerations for treating flea infestations are similar in all three!). The importance of biomechanics to the skeleton is well established: mechanical loading is accepted to be the primary functional determinant of bone mass and architecture. This dogma was established in part thanks to pioneering studies by Gabriel’s PhD supervisors (also vets!), Professors Jo Price and Lance Lanyon. Lance had, many years ago, used strain gauge chips intended for engineering purposes to measure mechanical strains (defined as the percentage change in dimension) in bone. Unfortunately, even the smallest strain gauges are stiffer than neurulation stage embryos, so a non-invasive method was needed to map strains associated with zippering point ablation. Again, engineering provided a solution, in the form of digital image correlation analysis, wherein the relative displacement of pre-placed dots on an object’s surface are used to calculate strains. However implementation of this approach has limitations when applied to biological tissues. Here we turned to a hobby programmer (who also happens to be Gabriel’s father) to script the code for a “Biological Deformation and Strain Measurement” program, quickly renamed “Tissue Deformation and Strain Measurement” (TDSM, which will be available here https://github.com/gauden/tdsm).
After initial validation and testing on simulated datasets, TDSM worked seamlessly when applied to confocal images of mouse PNPs live-imaged before and after zippering point ablation to generate area strain maps. However, the patterns of area strain it showed were so perplexing we described them as “preliminary” even though analyses of sequential embryos all showed the same thing. First of all, they showed long-ranging tissue deformation following laser ablation, far beyond the zippering point, which was unexpected. Secondly, they showed that the tissue around the zippering point itself underwent expansion following ablation. We had confidently assumed the zippering point would be the force-generating structure pulling the neural folds towards the midline, but if that had been the case why would the tissue around it expand following its ablation? Rather, we had expected this region of tissue to retract to a smaller, un-stretched state. Instead we observed tissue constriction far caudally, in the open region of the PNP.
Constriction of the open region suggested a tissue-level mechanism by which the neural folds could be pulled towards the midline. We wanted to see if this tissue constricted during ongoing neurulation but, although we can culture embryos in roller bottle culture for at least 48 hrs, this system precludes visualisation. We therefore reluctantly tried live embryo culture under static conditions while imaging by confocal microscopy, during which the embryos retained a strong heart beat and clear yolk sac circulation. In our setup, even over a relatively short time period (~2 hrs) the embryos underwent substantial morphogenetic movement with very significant narrowing of the posterior neuropore (Video 1, as shown in Galea et al.2). As this happened, the apical surface area of cells in the open region on average decreased, suggesting apical constriction was ongoing. Actomyosin-driven apical constriction is an evolutionarily conserved force-generating mechanism9 and actomyosin is apically enriched in cells of the open neuropore10.
Video 1. Mouse embryo live imaging showing PNP neural fold apposition over ~1 hour, as shown in [2]
This apical actomyosin enrichment had previously been shown in cryostat sections. However, we wanted to visualise it in all its full three-dimensional glory to observe its integration and extent to the zippering point. In so doing we observed that F-actin formed a discrete, continuous cable reaching all the way from the constricting open zone, along the neural folds, up to the zippering point (Figure 2). Laser ablation of the tissue through which this cable runs also results in the neural folds flipping apart, suggesting that the cable biomechanically couples the neuropore. Taking all these findings together produces our working model that the main forces driving neural tube closure are not medial convergence of the surrounding tissue, and not some sort of “pulling” force at the zippering point, but rather constriction of the open neuropore region (Figure 3). The forces generated here are then transmitted to the zippering point by the coupling F-actin cable.
Figure 3 Schematic summary of our findings. Constriction of the NMP zone (cyan) actively generates mechanical force (blue arrows) acting over the length of the PNP biomechanically coupled by the F-actin network (green lines). This opposes stresses within the surrounding tissues (red arrows), facilitating midline apposition of the neural folds, narrowing the zippering point angle and allowing zippering to progress.
Submission and review process
This demonstration of long-ranging biomechanical coupling in a mammalian embryo by an F-actin cable is the main ‘take home message’ of our story, although we do also present further findings in the paper. Given the clinical importance of neural tube closure, we initially submitted our paper to a clinically-focused high impact journal, but were told that although the “editors recognized that [our] developmental biology studies were very well done… these findings would be better suited for a developmental biology-focused venue.” Undeterred, and convinced our findings had broad appeal to a wide readership, we submitted our manuscript to PNAS. Here it received positive reviews which largely requested rewriting sections to make them more accessible. It was actually quite a pleasant experience to feel that addressing reviewers’ comments was improving our manuscript; amending one or two conclusions felt not to be sufficiently robust while generally improving clarity and focus. We particularly appreciated the recognition that our field is still at “the dawn of biomechanics in the early mouse embryo.”
Future outlook
Our ultimate aim in delineating the biomechanics of morphogenesis is to identify and prevent causes of their failure which lead to congenital defects, or to stage-specifically bolster mechanisms which may be deficient in pathological states. In the case of the neural tube, the 3D biomechanical analyses we undertook have fundamentally changed how we think of the progression and completion of spinal neurulation, raising new hypotheses for why they may fail leading to spina bifida. Our own analyses are now expanding beyond the specific roles of the zippering point and adjacent neural folds, to tissues to which they are mechanically coupled several hundred microns away. This new focus is helping us make new cell level observations relevant to the development of spina bifida as well as providing new insights into the integration of signalling cascades and environmental/teratogenic stimuli by biomechanical requirements. Ultimately, as with any research, each question we have answered has raised a dozen more, so watch this space!
Gabriel L Galea and Evanthia Nikolopoulou
UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
The Department of Integrative Biology (IB) and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) at the University of California, Berkeley are soliciting applications for a 100% (50 % IB, 50% MCB) time new senior level faculty member actively working at the interface between the fields of paleontology and evolutionary developmental biology; this position is open at the tenured level. Potential start date is January 1, 2018 or July 1, 2018.
Through leadership and expertise in the field of paleontology, and the fields of organismal, evolutionary, molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, Berkeley faculty explore questions in adaptation, speciation, ecology, and the genetic and genomic events that have generated organismal diversity. We seek candidates who work at the interface between paleontology and evolutionary developmental biology to leverage the strengths of these fields to address any of a number of questions in evolutionary biology. Areas include (but are not limited to) the evolution of important transitions such as the generation of body plans during the Cambrian, the transition from water to land, the evolution of flight, and the appearance of developmental novelties.
We envision that the position will create synergies for collaborative initiatives in research, teaching and fundraising. The successful candidate will build bridges across disciplines at UC Berkeley (including collaborations with the Departments of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Plant and Microbial Biology and Environmental Science, Policy and Management). S/he will bridge the museum and molecular focused faculty in IB with the molecular and cellular faculty in MCB. Paleontology and Evolutionary Developmental Biology are fields that have great appeal to the public, and an interdisciplinary research scope will provide ample opportunities to highlight the strength of both Departments to the public through outreach programs that could also form the basis for successful fundraising in the future.
Preferred qualifications include demonstrated excellence in research, extensive field or lab experience, evidence of outstanding scholarship within a relevant discipline, a dedication to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level, and a commitment to working in an inclusive and interdisciplinary environment. A Ph.D. and/or M.D. or equivalent degree in biology, geology, or a related field is required at the time of application.
Serious consideration will be given to the candidate’s potential for success in mentoring Ph.D. students and teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We seek someone who combines significant strength in an interdisciplinary program that crosses the Departmental boundaries, which will enhance not only our research standing, but our ability to educate undergraduates and graduate students at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary science. Professional service, including issues of access to and diversity in higher education and the academic profession will also be considered.
Application Procedure:
Applicants who are currently tenured at an institute of higher education/ are an independent investigator must complete an online application via the following link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF0134. If your candidacy progresses, you will be asked to provide contact information for 3-5 referees. We will only contact your referees if you are a finalist for the position, and we will seek your permission before doing so. All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters
All applications should include:
Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updatedV.
A brief summary of current and future research objectives, teaching interests, and a statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service.
The final deadline for applications is July 19, 2017. To receive full consideration, please submit a completed application by this date. Please direct questions to ib_ap_assist@berkeley.edu.
IB and MCB are committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty.
The departments seek candidates whose research, teaching, or service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.
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