PhD studentship in Manchester – zebrafish head development

We are looking for highly motivated and talented candidates for a 4yr-PhD programme in the laboratory of Dr Toki Takahashi at the University of Manchester. This studentship is funded by the BBSRC DTP and will start in September 2017. The overall aim of the project is to understand how our head is formed by combining a laboratory experimental approach with high-throughput bioinformatics analysis. This project is in collaboration with Dr Shane Herbert and Professor Magnus Rattray.

The vertebrate craniofacial development is a remarkably dynamic and intricate process, requiring the tightly regulated growth, migration and patterning of a particular cell population, cranial neural crest cells (CNC). For this reason, craniofacial malformations are among the most common, accounting for one third of human congenital defects. Whilst the causes of most cases are unknown, several clinical studies reported the mutations within Alx homeobox genes in recessive hereditary cases (ALX-related frontonasal dysplasia; ALX-FND). Our lab reported a new function of alx1 gene in frontonasal CNC migration, and demonstrated that alx1 is critical to zebrafish craniofacial development.

In this project, we will first establish a zebrafish model of ALX-FND by generating alx1 null mutant line with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Using the real-time image analysis of this mutant, we will examine in details how alx1 controls the CNC migration. Furthermore, we will purify the migrating CNC from the mutant by FACS for deep sequencing of transcriptomes. Bioinformatics analysis from this targeted cell population will identify the downstream targets of alx1. By integrating the high-throughput data and the live image profiling of CNC migration into computer modelling, the project will elucidate the new alx1 gene regulatory network controlling vertebrate head development.

For further details and information on how to apply, visit the University of Manchester DTP studentships website at http://www.dtpstudentships.ls.manchester.ac.uk/

Deadline for applications: Friday 18 November 2016, 5pm

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Toki Takahashi at Tokiharu.Takahashi@manchester.ac.uk

(3 votes)

Loading...