Phd Position In Cryo-Electron Microscopy And Tomography Of Microtubules In Mammalian Sperm Cells (1.0 Fte)

mammalian sperm cells (1.0 FTE)

Job description

Microtubules play a key role in controlling cell shape, organelle distribution and cell motility. Microtubules are intrinsically dynamic polymers, however some cellular components are based on stable microtubules. Depolymerisation of stable microtubules can be prevented by specific factors, but the mechanisms of their action are unknown. We are now seeking a motivated PhD candidate to study microtubules stabilisation in vitro and in mammalian cells with a special interest in sperm cells. In this position you will become part of a consortium supported by an NWO-OCENW-XL grant to study microtubule structure and dynamics in situ using a combination of innovative cryo-Electron Tomography (cryo-ET) and advanced cryo-fluorescence microscopy.You will join the research group of Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai which combines biochemistry, biophysics and advanced cryo-electron microscopy to unravel the molecular basis of fertilization. Her group was the first to resolve the in-cell structures of mammalian sperm flagella that revealed remarkable species- dependent differences in microtubule inner proteins (for more information, read Leung et al. (2021) and Leung et al. (2022). The natural variation between species and the specific architecture of the sperm cell makes sperm a prime model to study microtubule organisation and stabilisation in different organelles within the same cell. In your research you will combine sophisticated in vitro reconstitution assays with correlative cryo-light- microscopy and cryo-ET/cryo-EM approaches to advance our knowledge of the cytoskeletal organisation and stabilisation.Pursuing a PhD in our group will offer you the opportunity to:

Qualifications

To be successful in the application you should:

Previous hands-on experience in cryo-Electron Microscopy is not required, but will be considered a significant advantage.

Offer

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. About the organization

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Additional information

If you have any questions about the position that you'd like us to answer, please contact Dr. Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai (associate professor) at [email protected] you have a question about the application procedure? Please send an email to [email protected]

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Please enclose:

If this specific opportunity isn't for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.For more information, watch the video about working at the Faculty of Science.

The application deadline is 14/04/2023