Deadline: 17 January 2022
Francis Crick Institute, UK
The Crick laboratory focuses on the study of the regulation of the immune response during immune challenge and infection of the lung and gut, with a major focus on immune effector molecules called cytokines and their downstream pathways.
The aim of the lab is to identify immune cells and pathways contributing to protection and pathogenesis in infectious diseases including factors: (1) determining disease outcome using M. tuberculosis infected TB resistant and susceptible mice where the blood transcriptomic RNA signature resembles human TB disease; and (2) leading to or controlling pathology in models of infection of the gut, including with T. gondii and H. hepaticus.
The aims of this project are to validate new targets of disease outcome, identified by RNA-sequencing or flow cytometry analyses, through advanced immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses:
The project will require processing of tissues from in vivo mouse models and testing of antibodies directed against target immune cell populations in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections. These will include lungs from M. tuberculosis infected TB resistant and susceptible mice in close collaboration with a Senior Postdoc in the Lab and a Principal Lab Research Scientist, who will conduct all the mouse in vivo TB experiments. The position will also support similar analysis of other infections, mainly of the gut (FFPE or frozen sections), including Helicobacter hepaticus and Toxoplasma gondii infected mice, where we wish to validate targets and pathways that control different forms of pathology. This will be in close collaboration with two Postdoctoral Fellows who will perform the in vivo experiments. Pathology will be in collaboration with Senior Lab Research Scientist who strategically organises all gene-deficient mouse colonies and additionally is an experienced molecular immunologist also expert at isolating and preparing gut tissues for histopathology analysis from infected mice.
The main responsibility of the position is to develop and apply immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis of lung or gut sections to validate key targets and pathways to further our understanding of immune factors dictating protection or pathogenesis in experimental infection models. All histopathology analyses will be conducted in close collaboration with certified veterinary pathologists and our Crick Experimental Histopathology Science Technology Platform.
Find out more and apply online.