PhD studentship opportunity

jesse Lun 9 Mar 2009 - 12:21

In The Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, The Faculty of Medical Sciences.
The role of pre-Replicative Complex proteins in mechanisms that regulate chromosomes duplication during
Xenopus laevis embryonic development.

Supervisor: Dr Jolanta Kisielewska, co-supervisors: Prof. Julian Blow (Dundee) and Prof. Jeff Errington (Newcastle)

The project will be attractive to students interested in cell cycle regulation during early development. The aim of this project is to understand the relationship between cell cycle and DNA synthesis during fast embryonic divisions. In particular the project focuses on mechanisms underlying proper DNA replication in proliferating tissue and the consequences, at the single cell and whole organism levels, if these mechanisms fail. Results from this project will have significant input in understanding of how non proliferative cells can change their state to become highly proliferative without control as occurs, for example, in cancer cells.

The project will allow the student to learn and use cutting edge cell biology techniques including confocal/muliphoton and fluorescent imaging for localization of proteins in vivo, molecular biology (for example construction of fluorescently labelled chimeras, in vitro transcription) and biochemistry (protein purification, chromatin isolation, protein-protein interaction on chromatin including mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation etc). The majority of the work involves the use of Xenopus embryos both for microscopy and biochemistry. However some of the work will also require the use of cell-free extracts of Xenopus eggs that support all the major events of the cell division cycle, including precise chromosome duplication.

This PhD will give opportunity for the student to work in a highly scientific friendly environment both at the Universities of Newcastle and Dundee. It is also expected that the student will participate in international conferences relating to the project to gain experience in oral and poster presentation.

For more information please contact project supervisor: Dr Jolanta Kisielewska, jolanta.kisielewska@ncl.ac.uk, 0191 2228460 or visit www.ncl.ac.uk/camb/postgrad/funding/studentship

Candidates will be shortlisted by the end of May 2009 and the successful candidate will be offered provisional placement in June 2009 while awaiting her/his results.