Research Fellow in London

This position is part of an interdisciplinary collaborative project between the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Warwick, the University of Edinburgh and UCL. The aim of the project is to understand the principles that underlie the acquisition and organisation of tissue shape in organoids. Self-organisation necessitates a symmetry-breaking event that causes gene expression changes in a subpopulation of cells, resulting in changes in molecular and mechanical properties that shape the form and function of tissues. This process is iterative. As new contacts form between cells of different lineages, as some cells lose contact with the extracellular matrix, and as new secreted molecules are produced, further rounds of organisation take place. Thus, predicting the outcome of morphogenesis lies at the interface between physics and biology as it involves cycles of changes in mechanics and gene expression that feedback across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Our team will integrate physics and biological perspectives to understand and to predict how cycles of gene expression and mechanical changes give rise to complex morphogenesis of tissues and organs over a duration of several days.

In this project, we propose to determine how cell differentiation and cellular-scale mechanical changes combine to control shape acquisition using organoids generated in vitro from embryonic stem cells (neuruloids). This is an attractive system to reverse engineer as neuruloids reproducibly acquire complex tissue shapes and comprise multiple cell-types but remain sufficiently simple to allow spatiotemporal characterisation of cell morphology, mechanics, differentiation and gene expression. We will determine how mechanics, adhesion, and gene expression interplay at the cell-scale to guide shape acquisition at the tissue-scale.

The postholder will be responsible for carrying out experimental research on the project using techniques including, but not limited to, live cell microscopy, molecular cell biology, atomic force microscopy, mechanical testing, DNA nanotechnology, micropatterning, and soft 3D printing. The candidate will also be required to analyse experimental data, and design new experimental approaches.

The ideal candidate must have demonstrated ability for creative, original independent research of high impact. The person must be adept at multi-tasking and organising their work to meet deadlines. They must have a proven track record of working in multi-disciplinary teams.