PhD Candidate in Chromatin Mechanics

Would you like to contribute to research in chromatin biology to generate novel insights about its mechanics? As a PhD Candidate, you will investigate the effects of physical forces on nuclei, genomes and transcription. Your work will help us take one step further in the direction of understanding the complexity of nuclear organisation.

The challenge of organising the genome while tightly regulating its function is one of the most important processes in biology. Cells actively sense physical forces from the environment. These forces transmit to the nucleus, where they affect gene expression and cell differentiation. Changes in the mechanobiology of cells can contribute to disease. Our lab focuses on understanding how biophysical mechanisms drive chromatin organisation. In this project, you will use molecular biology and microscopy techniques to connect mechanobiology and chromatin organisation. The aim is to provide new insights into how physical forces affect nuclear morphology, genome organisation and transcriptional activity. This will set the stage for understanding chromatin organisation and gene expression in development, and misregulation in disease. We are looking for a scientist with a fundamental interest in chromatin biology who is open to participating in multidisciplinary research.

You will work as a member of the Cell Biology group at RIMLS-FNWI, under the supervision of Dr Jorine Eeftens, and in close collaboration with other group members. The project will connect the research efforts of the Institute for Molecules and Materials and the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences. There will be ample opportunities for collaboration between the institutes and with other parties. As part of your PhD training, you will assist in teaching one or two courses per year and supervise BSc and MSc students within the context of your project.