Postdoctoral Position : Sheffield, United Kingdom

A position is available in the Jarema Malicki laboratory at the University of Sheffield. The laboratory studies the genetic basis of cell polarity and recently mainly focuses on molecular mechanisms that regulate the formation and function of cilia.

This position will involve genetic and imaging experiments in the zebrafish model and in cell culture, combined with analysis of protein interactions. The appointee will aim to combine genetic, imaging, and proteomic data to arrive at mechanistic models of cilia-mediated signaling events and their role in embryogenesis. Cilia are highly polarized cell surface features that frequently detect and/or process extracellular signals, including chemicals, light, and polypeptides. We aim to understand how signal transduction mechanisms are assembled in cilia and how they function in processes as diverse as embryogenesis, vision, metabolism, and ageing. Malfunction of human cilia is a cause of numerous diseases, including blindness, mental retardation, limb malformations, kidney malfunction, infertility, obesity, and perhaps even psychiatric disorders.

The Malicki laboratory currently investigates mechanisms that include lipid- (mainly phosphoinositide-) mediated signaling at the ciliary membrane, acetylation of ciliary proteins, and regulation of ciliogenesis by apico-basal polarity determinants. To develop mechanistic understanding of these processes, we use a range of approaches, including genetic manipulation of intact zebrafish embryos and mammalian cells, imaging with confocal, light-sheet, and super-resolution microscopy and mass spectrometric analysis of protein interactions. 

The appointee will contribute to the conceptual development of the project, design and perform experiments, analyze data and disseminate findings by writing papers and by presenting work at conferences and seminars. He/she will directly report to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Jarema Malicki.