A 12 month fellowship in molecular biology and developmental genetics is available at the Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL) in France, under the co-supervision of Michalis Averof and Mathilde Paris. The fellowship is funded by the Marie Curie ITN EvoCELL (https://evocell-itn.eu/).

Project description

Some animals have the ability to regenerate parts of their body (limbs, tails, internal organs) after severe injury. However the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the regeneration of such complex organs are still poorly understood. The project will focus on gene expression regulation during limb regeneration in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis, an emerging model for limb regeneration. The fellow will use ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with high throughput sequencing) to identify cis-regulatory sequences that are activated during limb regeneration. The approach may be applied to single cells in order to identify cell-type specific regulatory elements. The results will be compared with bulk and single-cell RNAseq datasets generated in the lab.

Details of the fellow’s planned activities

The fellow will perform ATAC-seq experiments on limbs of regenerated or non-regenerated limbs of Parhyale hawaiensis. The protocol will need to be set up at the single-cell level. The fellow will be trained in all the steps of the experiment, from tissue dissection to library preparation, prior to sequencing. Depending on her/his abilities, s/he will participate in the computational analysis of the results. Some follow-up experiments may be performed, and the activity of candidate regulatory regions might be tested by transgenesis and confocal microscopy in adults.

In addition, the fellow will participate in all the training events of the EvoCELL network as a member (meetings and practical courses). S/he will be able to exchange with the different members of the network, both informally but also during the planned meetings (about twice a year). 

General information on the lab and the evoCELL network

The Averof lab (www.averof-lab.org) uses various approaches such as live imaging, cell tracking, transgenesis and functional genomics to tackle developmental and evolutionary questions. The lab is highly international and its working language is English. It is based in the the IGFL – an institute of the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and the CNRS, whose scientific focus lies at the interface of developmental biology, physiology, functional genomics and evolution.

EvoCELL is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network addressing the evolution of cell-types using a diverse array of animals. The network unites 8 academic and 2 non-academic organisations from 6 European countries. It provides a multi-disciplinary and international environment with training opportunities and exchange between the Network members. Additional fellowships are available in the network (https://evocell-itn.eu/2019/02/20/we-are-looking-for-short-term-earl…)

How to apply

Application page:
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/425603

Application deadline:
Position filled.

Requirements and eligibility criteria:

Applicants should have some experience in molecular biology, developmental biology and/or genetics. Additional experience in bioinformatics would be preferred but is not required.
They should have a Masters degree or equivalent (e.g. a 5-year university degree) in a relevant field but should NOT already posses a PhD.
To be eligible for the fellowship, candidates should have no more than 4 years of research experience since graduation and should not already possess a doctoral degree.
Candidates of all nationalities may apply, but they must not have lived in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their appointment.

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