Postdoc position at Durham University

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Stem Cell Biology with a particular emphasis on epithelial stem cell regulation. The research project is funded by a BBSRC Pioneer Award and led by Dr David Doupé and will explore the importance of signalling dynamics in stem cells. Precise regulation of cell fate in time and space is critical for normal development and adult homeostasis. While in many contexts the signalling pathways involved in regulating cell fate have been identified, the importance of the temporal nature of a signal, for example whether it is sustained, transient of oscillatory have been less well studied in vivo. This project aims to characterize the temporal dynamics of major signalling pathways in Drosophila intestinal stem cells. This will involve (1) generation of new genetic tools for pathway visualization and (2) live intravital imaging of signalling dynamics in stem cells. Together these aims will establish whether dynamic encoding of information by major pathways is an important feature of stem cell regulation in an important model system with potential implications for mammalian stem cells.