Download Studentship-Renault - University of Nottingham

School of Life Sciences
PhD Research Studentship
Title: Developmental genetics of cell migration
The movement of cells throughout the body is a fundamental feature of metazoan
development. Aberrant migration leads to developmental abnormalities and can lead
to the spread of disease within the body, most notably in the case of cancer
metastasis. Whilst many of the signals to which cells respond in order to initiate or
direct migration are known, less is understood about the distances to which these
signalling molecules act in vivo and how movements are orchestrated between
multiple cell types.
We use the migration of the germ cells during embryogenesis in the fruitfly,
Drosophila melanogaster, as our in vivo system. The germ cells give rise to a stem
cell population that provide a continual supply of eggs and sperm in the adult, and are
therefore essential for the propagation of the species. The germ cells migrate to find
and associate with the somatic cells of the gonad.
Our lab is interested in
understanding the complex interplay between these two cell types, including the role
of a lipid signal in guiding the germ cells (Mukerjee et al. 2013).
This project will combine the use of genetics, biochemistry and microscopy thereby
providing comprehensive skills and training to students embarking on a career in life
science research. We are based in the Medical Centre of Nottingham University, which
provides a well-equipped and vibrant developmental biology community. This project
will be supervised by Dr Andrew Renault. For more details see
http://www.germcell.co.uk and http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/life-sciences/
Applicants should have, or will expect to attain at least a 2i degree classification in
biology or a related discipline. This studentship is available for a period of at least 3
years starting no later than 1st October 2014, and provides a minimum stipend of
£13,726 per annum. Please note that certain eligibility conditions apply, and
therefore, this studentship is only available to UK/EU citizens.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Andrew Renault at
[email protected]
Applications, with a detailed CV, the names and addresses of 2 referees and a
statement of why you would be interested in this project, should be sent to Dr Andrew
Renault, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre,
Nottingham NG7 2UH, or to [email protected]. Open until filled.
References:
Mukherjee A., Neher R.A., and Renault, A.D. (2013) Quantifying the range of a lipid
phosphate signal in vivo. Journal of Cell Science. Sep 4
Morris A.J., Smith S.S., Salous A.K. and Renault A.D., (2013) Book chapter “Lipid
Phosphate Phosphatases: Recent Progress and Assay Methods” in Lysophospholipid
Receptors: Signaling and Biochemistry, John Wiley & Sons. Editors: Hla T., Spiegel S.,
Moolenaar W. and Chun J.
Renault A.D.*, Kunwar P.S. and Lehmann R. (2010) Lipid phosphate phosphatase
activity regulates dispersal and bilateral sorting of embryonic germ cells in Drosophila.
Development, 137 (11) 1815-23. *corresponding author
Renault A.D., Sigal Y., Morris A. and Lehmann R. (2004) Soma-germ line competition
for lipid phosphate uptake regulates germ cell migration and survival. Science, 305
(5692) 1963-1966
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