Embryonic Stem Cells One PhD Studentship Position
with a four year fellowship is available to complement our group (L.Leyns) in its efforts to investigate The mesodermal differentiation and patterning of mouse and human embryonic stem cells.
Brief description of the project:
Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the potential to differentiate into all cell types of the adult body, and could allow regeneration of damaged tissues. The challenge is to alter differentiation towards functional cell types or tissues by directing ES cells to a specific fate. Efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms that are required for the formation of the different germ layers and tissues from ES cells, and these mechanisms appear to be very similar in the embryo. Differentiation towards mesoderm and mesoderm derivatives such as cardiac tissue or hemangioblasts has been demonstrated, however, the roles of several embryonic signaling pathways in the differentiation of ES is still poorly characterized. We therefore analyzed the roles of Activin A/Nodal, BMP and FGF signaling in the patterning of ES cell-derived mesoderm using a dual ES cell differentiation system combining a loss-of-function with a gain-of-function approach (Willems et al., in press).
We propose to further investigate the role of these signaling pathways by using microarrays to identify genes expressed in specific cell types and to differentiate mouse as well as human ES cells towards mesoderm derivatives.
Consult our website: http://we.vub.ac.be/cege/leyns.html
Application:
The successful candidate will join a dynamic team that combines the power of molecular biology and stem cell biology to grasp mouse and human development and cellular differentiation.
Application-deadline is 31 January 2008. Start date is 1 March 2008.
Please send a detailed CV and addresses of two references to Prof. Dr. Luc Leyns – lleyns@vub.ac.be
Note that the English is the lab language and that the successful candidate will also be encouraged to look for additional funding (e.g. IWT, FWO).
Brief description of the project:
Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the potential to differentiate into all cell types of the adult body, and could allow regeneration of damaged tissues. The challenge is to alter differentiation towards functional cell types or tissues by directing ES cells to a specific fate. Efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms that are required for the formation of the different germ layers and tissues from ES cells, and these mechanisms appear to be very similar in the embryo. Differentiation towards mesoderm and mesoderm derivatives such as cardiac tissue or hemangioblasts has been demonstrated, however, the roles of several embryonic signaling pathways in the differentiation of ES is still poorly characterized. We therefore analyzed the roles of Activin A/Nodal, BMP and FGF signaling in the patterning of ES cell-derived mesoderm using a dual ES cell differentiation system combining a loss-of-function with a gain-of-function approach (Willems et al., in press).
We propose to further investigate the role of these signaling pathways by using microarrays to identify genes expressed in specific cell types and to differentiate mouse as well as human ES cells towards mesoderm derivatives.
Consult our website: http://we.vub.ac.be/cege/leyns.html
Application:
The successful candidate will join a dynamic team that combines the power of molecular biology and stem cell biology to grasp mouse and human development and cellular differentiation.
Application-deadline is 31 January 2008. Start date is 1 March 2008.
Please send a detailed CV and addresses of two references to Prof. Dr. Luc Leyns – lleyns@vub.ac.be
Note that the English is the lab language and that the successful candidate will also be encouraged to look for additional funding (e.g. IWT, FWO).
