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PhD Research Project: Investigating the neuronal response to DNA damage: implications for neurodege

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
United Kingdom
Closing date
Apr 2, 2018

Job Details

Details

The ability to recognise damaged DNA and respond to it is a fundamental property of cells. Cells respond to damage by halting the cell cycle and initiating repair and, if damage is extensive, entering a senescent state or triggering apoptosis. Together, the DNA damage responses function as defence against cancer. Post-mitotic neurons in the CNS respond to DNA damage in a similar manner to actively cycling cells but these responses may not be appropriate: neurons can’t be replaced if apoptosis is triggered and senescent neurons are potentially toxic to neighbours.

It is becoming clear that the most toxic form of DNA damage – double-strand breaks – accumulates in many forms of neurodegeneration. This project asks a series of questions about why neurons respond to DNA damage in the way they do and whether the response is inappropriate and actually contributes to neural diseases, especially neurodegeneration. The questions are based on recent discoveries in the Tuxworth lab and Kyriacou laboratories that suppressing the DNA damage response in neurons can be beneficial in models of neurodegeneration and prevent loss of neurons. For instance: what happens if detection of DNA damage is inhibited? Can neurons actually tolerate DNA damage in non-transcribed regions, given they are not trying to replicate the DNA? What happens if actively-dividing glia are inhibited from responding to damage? Does damage to mitochondrial DNA elicit a similar effect in neurons to nuclear damage? And can modifying the responses of neurons protect neurons from senescent and apoptosis in vivo?

The project will primarily use Drosophila models engineered to exhibit aspects of human neurological diseases and use the genetic tools of Drosophila to manipulate the DNA damage response in vivo. The student will then and ask what happens to the neurobiology of the flies using activity tests; behavioural tests, including circadian analysis and memory tests; histology and immunofluorescent microscopy to analyse apoptosis, senescence and cell-cycle within the CNS. The molecular changes occurring in neurons will be studied primarily in vitro. The student will used cultured human neuroblastoma cells and iPS-derived neurons and glia derived from neurodegeneration patients to assess changes to the DNA damage response and more widely to the proteome and transcriptome. A live-cell FRET-sensor for the DNA damage response will be constructed and tested in vitro to aid quantification and visualisation of the response.

The student will benefit from the combined expertise of two Drosophila groups at Birmingham and Leicester plus the support of a wider community of Drosophila groups at the two Universities. The student will be based primarily in Birmingham in the Tuxworth group where the majority of the Drosophila and cell-based studies will be performed with the more advanced behavioural studies taking place in Leicester in the Kyriacou group. The Tuxworth group is based in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences alongside world-leading colleagues studying the DNA damage response and alongside colleagues routinely using disease-related iPS cells models.

 

Funding Notes

The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership 2 (MIBTP) is a BBSRC-funded doctoral training partnership between the University of Warwick, the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester recruiting students for four-year studentships starting in Oct 2018. These students would do a year of training and start their PhD research in Oct 2019.

Please see this site for more details:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mibtp/index.aspx

Company

Global Academy Jobs works with over 250 universities worldwide to promote academic mobility and international research collaboration. Global problems need international solutions. Our jobs board and emails reach the academics and researchers who can help.

"The globalisation of higher education continues apace, driving in turn the ongoing development of the global knowledge economy, striving for solutions to the world’s problems and educating a next generation of leaders and contributors."

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