Elucidating the role of tumour microenvironment in cancer progression

An exciting cancer cell signalling-focused PhD studentship is available in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex supervised by Dr Georgios Giamas.

Despite the increasing evidence that tumour microenvironment signalling influences the behaviour of surrounding cancer epithelial cells, still relatively little is known about which changes in stromal cells influence tumour cells’ behaviour. Instigated by malignant cells the surrounding stroma undergoes a shake-up in its organization that supports cancerous growth, via different processes including induction of metabolic changes, modifications of cell identities, initiation of neo-vascularization and reprogramming of inert immune cells. In order to achieve these defining properties of the tumour microenvironment, cancer and non-cancer cells continuously exchange ‘information’ through cell–cell traversing gap junctions, tunnelling nanotubes and the secretion of effector molecules. One way to guarantee coordinated release of multiple molecules relies on their packaging into membrane-enclosed vesicles widely known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), which contain cargo such as lipids, proteins, various RNAs and DNA fragments and metabolic products. Therefore, shedding light on the events and the proteins involved in stroma-tumour cross-talk could lead to the identification of new strategies for prevention and therapy of different types of cancer.

The aim of the project will be the identification of novel proteins expressed in various stromal cells and the elucidation of the reciprocal mechanisms via which they modulate different tumour cell properties (i.e. invasion, migration, differentiation, EMT transition, etc).

Our laboratory combines a variety of molecular, cellular and biochemical techniques and assays along with established in vitro / in vivo models and patients’ specimens to study relevant pathways in cancer. Apart from already established quantitative proteomics experiments (SILAC) followed by bioinformatics analysis, we have recently established a pipeline to isolate, quantify and characterise the proteomic content of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from cancer and/or stromal cells in response to different treatments.

The successful applicant will have a molecular/cellular biology and cancer related background. Some knowledge of bioinformatics is an advantage.

To be considered for a place you will need to complete our online application which can be found at (please apply for a PhD in Biochemistry and specify the project name/supervisor when asked):
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/

Documents required: A brief statement of interest in the project (up to 2 pages), full CV, two academic references. You will need a relevant BSc, and an MSc in a related subject would be an advantage.

If you are residing in EU, UG/PG transcripts and IELTS/TOEFL results might also be requested after shortlisting of candidates.

The deadline for receiving the applications is 31st October 2016. Thereafter shortlisting and interviews will take place. If you have any project specific queries please contact Georgios Giamas - [Email Address Removed]. Any queries regarding the application process, please contact Alice Caryer - [Email Address Removed]