Early Stage Researcher PhD fellowship in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN European Training Network PANDORA on “In vitro short-term cultures of sea urchin immune cells : characterization of the innate/inflammatory responses to NP”.
The PANDORA network – Probing safety of nano-objects by defining immune responses of environmental organisms – aims at the education of promising young scientists who will learn shall assess the global impact of engineered nanoparticles (NP) on the immune responses of representative organisms covering all evolutionary stages and hierarchical levels from plants to invertebrates and vertebrates. PANDORA will train 11 PhD students in an overarching training programme involving training-by-research, joint courses of technical, scientific and transferrable skills, participation to public scientific events, and an intense intersectoral networking exchange plan. The PANDORA consortium encompasses academic institutions, research centers, and SMEs, all with proven experience in higher education and training, and state-of-the art scientific and technical expertise and infrastructures.
Description
The research activities implemented in PANDORA have the following objectives : 1. To identify immunological mechanisms triggered by nano-objects, and predictive markers of risk vs. safety ; 2. To do so by a collaborative cross-species comparison, from plants to human, of innate immune defence capacity, using selected, industrially-relevant NP ; 3. To design predictive in vitro assays to measure the immuno-risk of NP to the environment and human health, as new approaches to industrial and environmental nanosafety testing.
Each of the 11 ESRs will be enrolled in the PhD programme of the beneficiary's organization (the beneficiaries which do not award PhD will establish agreements with local and international universities that can provide the degree) and will participate in the network's training activities and work placements at the laboratories of the participating academic and industrial partners. In addition, the training programme of the recruited ESRs will be supplemented by regular meetings and workshops within the PANDORA network.
Sea urchin immune cells represent an excellent model to study innate immunity. The revealed sea urchin genome is closer to human than to other model organisms, such as mouse, tunicates, fruit fly and others. A survey for immune genes has shown that the immune system is complex, sophisticated and mediated by an amazingly large repertoire of innate pathogen recognition proteins. Under in vivo and vitro experimental conditions immune cells have shown to respond to environmental hazards, including metal oxide NP, by the modulation of a subset of stress and immune response proteins. The project shall assess the innate/inflammatory reactivity of immune cells of Paracentrotus lividus exposed to the selected NP. The study will take into consideration cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and phagocytic activities, spreading and adhesion capacities, modulation of protein and mRNA levels of recognised inflammatory markers (e.g. hsp70, p38MAK, NFkB, TLRs).
We are looking for a highly motivated and talented PhD student to address the following expected results :
1) Definition of the innate/inflammatory markers and assays for NP immuno-nanosafety evaluation in the sea urchin model ;
2) Characterisation of the innate/inflammatory cascades and pathways activated in response to NP ;
3) Identification of sea urchin inflammatory markers in common with other species (including human) to be used for “universal” NP immuno-nanosafety assessment.
Prior experience with marine invertebrate animal models would be most welcome. The applicant should also have experience in cellular and molecular biology.
Nr of positions available : 1
Research Fields
Biological sciences - Biology
Career Stage
Early stage researcher or 0-4 yrs (Post graduate)
Research Profiles
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Benefits
The ESR will be contractually employed by “Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare “Alberto Monroy” (IBIM)-CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR)” and will be covered under the social security scheme. He or she will monthly receive a Living Allowance, a Mobility Allowance and a Family Allowance compliant with the applicable EC Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions-ITN general conditions (see http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020-wp1415-msca_en.pdf page 49).
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