PhD position: Calcium channels in congenital stationary night blindness

Photoreceptors are morphologically and physiological highly specialized light sensing cells of the retina where sustained release of glutamate from ribbon synapses is calcium dependent and L-type calcium channels (LTCC) serve as the predominant source for Ca²⁺ entry. Mutations in the gene encoding Cav1.4 LTCCs were identified among patients diagnosed with congenital night blindness type 2 (OMIM: 30071). The aim of this PhD project is to test the pharmaco-therapeutic potential of retinal Cav1.4 LTCCs using gene therapy.

Methods: Immunohistochemical analyses of mutant and transduced retinas; viral and non-viral gene-therapy applied by retinal injections.

References: Singh et al. (2006) Nature Neuroscience; Burtscher et al. (2014) Biochim Biophys Acta; Pangrsic et al. (2018) Physiol Reviews (Review); Zanetti et al. (2021) Scientific Reports; Nguyen et al. (2022) Appl Mater Interfaces; Heigl et al. (2023) Channels.

Salary: According to the rates of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) for PhD students plus travel funds for international scientific meetings.

We offer an international research environment, state-of-the art immunohistochemical, electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. The project work will make use of well-established techniques in our lab, including molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, viral vectors, cell culture and transfections.

Contact: Please send your application including a short letter of motivation, your CV and, if available, a reference letter to [email protected]; University of Innsbruck, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Austria. https://www.uibk.ac.at/pharmazie/pharmakologie/molecular_sensory_physiology.html