Lineage-Specific Reporter Mesenchymal Stem Cell Lines to Study Proliferation and Differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into chondrocytes and osteoblasts, offering great potential for the repair of damaged joints in arthritis patients. A better understanding of the factors influencing their proliferation and osteo-chondrogenic differentiation will be fundamental for the development of consistent cell preparations for therapeutic interventions.

The aim of this project is to generate reporter MSC lines to study in real-time proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. The candidate will:

(i) generate MSCs stably expressing reporter genes under the control of lineage-specific promoters;

(ii) characterise the generated reporter MSC lines; and

(iii) use the validated reporter MSCs to screen compound libraries to identify molecules that influence proliferation and differentiation of MSCs.

We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate, who will be part of the Regenerative Medicine Group in the Musculoskeletal Research Programme, in the state-of-the-art Institute of Medical Sciences. The student will employ a wide range of techniques including cell culture, cloning, viral transduction, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting.