PhD Projects - Cell and Developmental Biology
Research in the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology takes advantage of multiple animal model systems to investigate fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating embryonic development and tissue maintenance. These include the simple multi-cellular organism Dictyostelium, the fruit fly Drosophila as well as chick and mouse embryos and embryonic and adult stem cells. The Division provides a highly interdisciplinary research environment and successful graduate student candidates will have a wide range of training opportunities to explore the molecular cell biology of morphogenesis, cell differentiation and evolution. Key areas of research are morphogenetic movements (Weijer, Muller), segmentation (Dale, Maroto), neurogenesis (Storey), stem cells (Storey, Dale, Nathke), cell signalling and transcriptional dynamics (Chubb, Williams, Weijer) as well as evolution of cell signalling (Schaap) and models for human disease (Nathke, Storey, Muller).
Dr Jonathan Chubb
1. Watching developmental gene activity in living cells (click here)
2. Quantitative relationships between developmental signals and transcriptional responses in different tissues of the developing chick embryos (with Kim Dale) (click here)
Dr Kim Dale
1. The role of Notch signalling in stem cell fate choice in the embryo
2. The interplay of Notch and Wnt signalling inthe formation of a segmented embryonic body axis (click here for both projects)
Dr Arno Muller
1. Using Drosophila as a model for hyperplatic and neoplastic growth control
2. Functional analyses of genetic interactors of the Drosophila homolog of the ect2 proto-oncogene (click here for both projects)
Professor Inke Nathke
1. Co-ordination of cytoskeletal proteins by the Adenomatous polyposis coli tumour suppressor protein
2. How does the Adenomatous polyposis coli tumour suppressor contribute to centrosome function?
3. Identifying mechanism for the detrimental effects of N-terminal, tumour-associated fragments of APC (with Kim Dale)
(click here for all projects)
Professor Pauline Schaap
Genetic analysis of gene regulatory pathways in Dictyostelium (click here)
Evolution of developmental signalling in the Dictyostelids (click here)
Professor Kate Storey
Signalling and chromatin-modification during neural differentiation (click here)
Professor Kees Weijer FRSE
Development of a cell based 3 dimensional computational model for gastrulation in chick embryos (click here)