This project is available through the MIBTP programme. The successful applicant will join the MIBTP cohort and will take part in all of the training offered by the programme. For further details please visit the MIBTP website.
During embryonic development, a single fertilised egg ultimately generates every cell of an organism. To generate diverse types of cells, some cell divisions occur asymmetrically, resulting in daughter cells inheriting different proteins and organelles. The aim of this project is to identify the genetic factors that influence asymmetric cell divisions. We discovered a mechanism for asymmetric division based on a signal from the sex chromosome. Here we will genetically identify the specific molecular factors that could mediate this new mechanism. This study will also investigate novel interactions between the X chromosome and key organelles required for cellular energy (mitochondria).
This project uses a nematode system to uncover the mechanisms controlling asymmetric cell division. It will involve the use of use state-of-the-art genome engineering techniques, microscopy and bioinformatics tools to follow molecules in living organisms and mapping genetic traits.
Note: Given the limited access to the laboratory due to the coronavirus, there is flexibility in this project to have a large bioinformatics component.
BBSRC Strategic Research Priority: Understanding the Rules of Life: stem cells
Techniques that will be undertaken during the project:
- Gene editing tools to generated mutant nematodes (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9)
- Generation of transgenic nematodes (e.g., tagging of specific proteins with fluorescent markers)
- Microscopy (e.g., time lapse videos, confocal microscopy)
- Bioinformatics (e.g., writing scripts in Unix, R and Python)
- Statistics (R, Python)
Contact: Dr Andre Pires da Silva, University of Warwick