Regulating the composition of biomolecular condensates in living cells: Seeking outstanding PhD candidates

The project:

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has recently emerged as an important biophysical process driving the formation of membraneless organelles – a conserved feature of subcellular organisation across domains of life. This project will use highly multiplexed high-throughput microscopy as well as live-cell imaging to understand mechanisms controlling the compositions of membraneless organelles in human cells. The enhanced understanding of cellular compartmentalisation generated will lead to insights into aberrant condensates that occur in disease and will underpin future efforts to modulate the molecular composition and material properties of biomolecular condensates, which has many future applications in medicine and biotechnology.

About us:

The Berry Lab is based at Single Molecule Science, the EMBL Australia node at UNSW Sydney, and is part of the UNSW RNA Institute. We are committed to building a diverse team to answer fundamental research questions and to providing a supportive and challenging training environment for students. Our group makes extensive use of high-throughput microscopy and automated image analysis, which enables detailed measurement of quantitative cellular phenotypes across large cell populations. These approaches are complemented by genomics and mathematical modelling.

Student opportunities and culture:

Our PhD students have access to advanced infrastructure, seminars and state-of-the-art facilities (sequencing, biomedical imaging, flow cytometry), as well as to opportunities to visit and work with collaborators. Students will also have numerous opportunities to travel, present their work internationally, and to develop transferable skills that contribute to their career success, e.g. by attending the EMBL Australia PhD Course, and the EMBL Australia PhD symposium (organised by students for students). The Students of EMBL Australia Node of Single Molecule Science (SEAMS) network organises social activities on a regular basis.

About you: 

We are looking for passionate, dedicated, rigorous, and creative PhD candidates who are interested in challenging lab work and computational data analysis. You should have strong attention to detail and be a collaborative team player. Experience in cell biology, genomics, microscopy, image analysis or mathematical modelling is advantageous.

Renumeration: 

Successful competitive candidates will be provided a tax-free living stipend of AUD $37,684 per annum.

Applications including cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact details of referees should be emailed to Scott Berry (scott.berry@unsw.edu.au) before 26 August 2024.

More info: berrygroup.github.io