Applications are invited for a four-year BBSRC-funded studentship to investigate the activation of satellite cells in skeletal muscle during adaptation to altered load. Satellite cells are skeletal muscle specific “stem cells”, which provide muscle fibres with nuclei during muscle turnover, and represent a vital cellular reserve during muscle growth and repair. In unstressed muscle, most satellite cells are in a silent state, however, upon muscle strain (which can be as modest as moderate exercise), many get activated, divide and fuse with existing muscle fibres. The extent and regulation of this activation is not clear, particularly in vivo, and will be subject of this project.
The work focuses on adult skeletal muscle, and will use in vivo and in vitro animal models of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy, as well as tissues from human volunteer studies. State-of-the-art molecular and cell biology analytical techniques will be utilised (laser capture microdissection, protein immunofluorescence including confocal, in situ hybridisations, real time PCR and TaqMan arrays, supported by up-to-date bioinformatics tools) enabling the dovetailing of contemporary analytical methodologies with in vitro and in vivo approaches.
This project will be jointly supervised by Dr Rudi Billeter-Clark and Professor Paul Greenhaff.
Students should have a background in molecular/cell biology or biochemistry and a vested interest in vivo systems.
The successful student will be registered for a PhD (MPhil in the first instance) and will be affiliated with the multidisciplinary Institute of Clinical Research.
This studentship is available for a period of four years and provides a postgraduate stipend of £12,600 per annum.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr R Billeter-Clark, Email: Rudolf.Billeter-Clark@Nottingham.ac.uk.
Applications, with a detailed CV and the names and addresses of three referees, should be sent to Dr R Billeter-Clark, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH.
Reference : MED130
Closing Date : Monday 26 March 2007
http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancies.aspx?cat=345#j1369
If you want to receive academic resources in your e-mail on daily basis, please subscribe to 10resources-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
If you want to publish your announcement, please send it to riliescu2000@yahoo.com.
