Research Assistant (Duque Correa Lab) (Fixed Term)

Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Assistant to join the group of Dr Maria Duque-Correa at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (https://www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk/people/pi/duque-correa).

ENVIRONMENT:

Ours is a new research group aiming to understand the "whipworm niche at the host intestinal epithelia". Whipworms infect hundreds of millions of people and cause trichuriasis, a major neglected disease. These large metazoan parasites inhabit a multi-intracellular niche within their host gut lining, where they can remain for years. We investigate the host-whipworm interactions that underpin parasite invasion, colonisation and persistence in its mucosal niche, using a mouse model of infection with the mouse whipworm (Trichuris muris) and the first in vitro model to reproduce whipworm infections based on organoids (Duque-Correa et al 2020 International Journal of Parasitology; Duque-Correa et al 2022 Nature Communications). To study the responses of both the host and whipworm, we employ a range of cellular and molecular biology techniques, including confocal imaging, FACS and transcriptomics. Located at the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre in the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Research Campus (http://cambridge-biomedical.com), we have access to state-of-the-art research facilities and benefit from strong established collaborations both inside and outside of the Stem Cell Institute, particularly to the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Manchester. We place major emphasis on the importance of team-work and an enjoyable work environment as a foundation for performing internationally leading research.

THE PROJECT:

This project aims to understand how whipworms invade and colonise the human gut by engineering a 3D tissue-scale multicellular model of the human intestine, based on organoids and containing immune and connecting cells, to reproduce for the first time human whipworm infection in the laboratory. We will exploit this model using microscopy and sequencing to characterise the molecular and cellular changes happening in the whipworm and host cells during early infection. This knowledge will open new avenues to eradicate whipworm infections.

The project will be undertaken in the laboratory of Dr Maria A. Duque-Correa at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and in close collaboration with the laboratory of Professor Roisin Owens at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (https://www.ceb.cam.ac.uk/directory/roisin-owens).

YOU HAVE:

A MSc in relevant field such as Stem Cell Biology, Bioengineering or Regenerative Medicine. In particular, you will have knowledge and experience on tissue culture of primary cells (ideally organoids), scaffolds for bioengineering, confocal and fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry/sorting and/or molecular biology techniques.

We are looking for a highly enthusiastic and engaged individual to develop and deliver this exciting research project while collaborating regularly with other members of our group. You will be detail orientated, develop and optimise protocols, review literature, design experiments and analyse data. The ability to work independently and as part of a team, strong communication, organisational and problem-solving skills are essential.

Fixed term: The funds for this post are available for two and half years in the first instance but may be extended contingent on available funding and satisfactory performance.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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