Download Haploid genetic screen in mouse ES cells to identify novel

Haploid genetic screen in mouse ES cells to identify novel regulators in DNA damage
response
Our lab has recently discovered mouse somatic haploid ES cells (Elling et. al. 2011 Cell Stem
Cell). We can differentiate those cells to any lineages and being haploid, those ES cells
combine the power of yeast genetics with mammalian stem cell biology and those cells can be
efficiently mutagenized with a retrovirus containing a reversible gene trap making it possible to
disrupt nearly the all genes which allows us to study gene functions at genome-wide level. Our
system has many advantages over RNAi screening such as complete knockout, no off target
effect, stable silencing, etc. compared to RNAi.
The importance of DNA damage response (DDR) can be appreciated by the prevalence of
mutation in this pathway in cancer, neurogenetic and many other diseases. Most DDR genes
were identified genetically in yeast, however, yeast lacks many mammalian DDR components.
Therefore, we would like to employ the powerful mouse haploid ES cells we have in the lab to
identify novel regulators in DDR. Our study will uncover, among many others, how
cancer/cancer stem cells become resistant to DNA damage signaling.
Nice about the ES cell screening is that novel and exciting data can be generated within a
month. Worth mentioning, the second author of the haploid ES cells paper (Elling et. al. 2011
Cell Stem Cell) was a Bachelor student in our lab who worked here for 3/4 months.
Master’s students in our institute receive 420 Euro per month during their internship. Fortunately
Vienna is not as expensive as Utrecht is, around 350 to 400 Euro would be good enough for
renting a room.
You will be in the friendly and motivating lab of Prof. Josef Penninger, age 47, whose group has
published 50 plus papers only in Nature, Cell, Science and Nature Medicine.
For more information, please contact me or visit http://www.imba.oeaw.ac.at/research/josefpenninger/
Thank you.
Rezaul Karim
Postdoctoral Fellow
Laboratory of Prof. Josef M. Penninger
IMBA-Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +43 1 79044 - 4724
Fax: +43 1 79044 110