Primary cilia assembly, disassembly, and cell proliferation at University of Bristol on FindAPhD.com

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Prof D J Stephens No more applications being accepted Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Bristol United Kingdom Biochemistry

About the Project

Our work addresses three overlapping areas: secretory pathway function, membrane-microtubule dynamics, and formation and function or primary cilia. Primary (non-motile) cilia are hair-like extensions present on almost all animal cells that act as antenna for extracellular signals and are fundamental to proper metazoan development and ongoing health. In animals, primary cilia are required for key signalling pathways including Hedgehog and TGF beta. Defects in cilia are linked to many inherited human diseases and more recent data has identified a key role for ciliary signalling in wound healing including resolving bone fractures. This has led to the proposal that assembly and disassembly of primary cilia and ciliary signalling could be attractive targets to intervene in fibrosis and scarring. Our work is focussed on the role of the microtubule motor dynein-2 ^1,2 in these processes. Cilia extend from the mother centriole which inherently links dynein-2 function to the centrioles and centrosomes. In this collaborative project between Bristol and Exeter, you will use in vitro biochemistry ³, high resolution microscopy ⁴, and phosphoproteomics to explore this.

Web: https://cellbiology.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/joining-the-lab/

Twitter: @David_S_Bristol

Closing deadline: Monday 6 December, midnight.

Full details on the BBSRC SWBio DTP can be found at: https://www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/projects-available/

To apply, please use the following link: Start your application | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol. To choose the correct programme, please start to type 'Southwest' in the search box and the SWBio programme will appear.

Funding Notes

This is a 4 year PhD studentship fully funded by the BBSRC, SWBio Doctoral Training Partnership.
For full details on the funding and eligibility please refer to: https://www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/projects-available/

References

1 Vuolo, L., Stevenson, N. L., Heesom, K. J. & Stephens, D. J. Dynein-2 intermediate chains play crucial but distinct roles in primary cilia formation and function. Elife 7, doi:10.7554/eLife.39655 (2018).
2 Vuolo, L., Stevenson, N. L., Mukhopadhyay, A. G., Roberts, A. J. & Stephens, D. J. Cytoplasmic dynein-2 at a glance. J Cell Sci 133, doi:10.1242/jcs.240614 (2020).
3 Tariq, A., Green, L., Jeynes, J. C. G., Soeller, C. & Wakefield, J. G. In vitro reconstitution of branching microtubule nucleation. Elife 9, doi:10.7554/eLife.49769 (2020).
4 McCaughey, J. et al. A general role for TANGO1, encoded by MIA3, in secretory pathway organization and function. J Cell Sci 134, doi:10.1242/jcs.259075 (2021)