To better understand diseases and to develop new treatment options, we need to understand very fast biological processes occurring from the whole cell down to the single-molecule level. However, obtaining sufficient spatial and temporal resolution is a major challenge, where current techniques are limited. Here you will focus on developing high-resolution high-speed fluorescence microscopy, in the newly established Wolfson Imaging Facility, to image and decipher biological phenomena which have been previously undetectable. Depending on your scientific interests your project will focus on developing and using high-speed fluorescence microscopy to tackle one of the following biomedical challenges:
1. High-speed Live Cell Deformation Cytometry (Co-supervised by Stephen Evans and David Beech). In this project high-speed light-sheet fluorescence microscopy will be used to develop novel cytometry techniques that will allow us to mimic the experiences of blood cells and quantify their temporal response to mechanical forces. Simultaneously, PIEZO1-related signals will be measured using fluorescent indicator probes.
2. Capturing events at the myogenic fusogenic synapse in real time (Co-supervised by Michelle Peckham). One of the basic building blocks of muscles, multinucleated myotubes, form via fusion of myoblast cells. This important and complex process involves cell recognition, hemifusion, pore formation and expansion and cytosolic mixing. Despite its significance, the fusion event itself has yet to be captured and imaged due to the high resolution and speed required. High-Speed fluorescence microscopy will be used to image dynamic pore formation during fusion for the first time.
3. Mechanism underlying multivalent viral glycan modulation of dendritic cell function (Co-supervised by Yuan Guo and Dejian Zhou). Viruses display glycosylated spike proteins on their surface, which can be recognised by proteins on dendritic cells to activate an immune response. High-speed fluorescence microscopy will be used to image how the interaction between viruses and cells control the nanoscale organisation and clustering of cell surface proteins, and how this interaction leads to intracellular signalling.
This funded position will be based in the School of Physics & Astronomy.
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