PhD project in gut homeostasis and disease

Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD position in Biology commencing 01.02.2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Description of the scientific environment

The Andersen-Colombani group at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, is recruiting a PhD to work on a 3-year project aiming at understanding the mechanisms coupling mechanical cues with SC-driven adaptive responses and pathologies using the Drosophila midgut as a model system. The position is available to start on 1 February 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The group is housed in the section of Cell and Neurobiology at the Department of Biology (https://www.biocenter.ku.dk/).

Project Description

Adult tissues with high turnover rates, such as the intestine, depend on stem cells (SCs) to provide a continuous source of differentiated cells to maintain tissue homeostasis. To maintain intestinal homeostasis and gut barrier function, a complex signalling network ensures that cell loss is tightly coupled with ISC-dependent proliferation. In the past decades, an immense effort in the field has successfully identified many short and long-range signals involved in the adaptation of adult gut homeostasis to environmental biochemical cues. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that biomechanical stimuli, such as shear stress or swellings of the lumen, can modify intestinal SC (ISC) divisions and specification. The Drosophila midgut has emerged as a powerful model studying SC-driven processes in adult tissues. The project advertised here aims at studying how mechanical cues are integrated by the intestinal stem cell (ISC) niche to control ISC proliferation, differentiation, and gut homeostasis. The proposed project uses a combination of live imaging on ex vivo gut explants to monitor force-dependent effects on cell-cell rearrangements and cell topology changes and lineage tracing to evaluate force-dependent effects on ISC divisions and fate decisions. RNAis will be used to known down candidate genes in different populations of the stem cell niche, and effects on force-dependent cellular and tissue-scale adaptive responses will be evaluated.

We are looking for highly motivated individuals with an MSc degree in Biology and with prior experience in fly physiology, confocal imaging, and genetics.

Our group and research

Our group, which is currently composed of three postdocs, two PhD students, and three master students, is embedded in the vibrant and international environment of the section of Cell and Neurobiology, where we share fly and imaging facilities with two other Drosophila groups. The projects in the team are centered around understanding the mechanisms underpinning ISC migration, proliferation, and fate determination during homeostasis, regeneration, and disease.

Principal supervisors:

Dr. Ditte Andersen, Department of Biology, Cell and Neurobiology section, ditte.andersen@bio.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +45 27 85 30 22

Dr. Julien Colombani, Department of Biology, Cell and Neurobiology section, julien.colombani@bio.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +45 27 84 76 66.

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Biology. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The terms of employment and salary are in accordance to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

Qualifications/Selection criteria

• Applicants should hold a MSc degree in Biology or Biochemistry
• Having prior experience with the Drosophila model and Genetics is essential
• Having a solid background in gut physiology is an advantage
• Having relevant working experience is an advantage
• Strong motivation and very good scientific skills are essential
• Good communication skills in English, oral and written

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Application procedure and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

• Motivation Letter (max. one page)
• CV including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
• Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
• Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications (if any)

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is Friday 8 November 2024, 23:59 GMT +1

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.