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Dear Microscopists,

We have an opening in our group at University College London for a post-doctoral
researcher in the area of Cell Biology and Biophysics. A description of the position follows. 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Best,
Guillaume

___________________________________________________
Post-Doctoral Researcher, Cell Biology/ Biophysics

We are pleased to announce a call for applications for a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr Guillaume Charras. This project seeks to understand what subcellular structures participate in the mechanics of cell monolayers, how these tissues sense and adapt to changes in their mechanical environment, and what mechanical forces underlie the individual cell behaviours leading to tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis.

Epithelial monolayers are amongst the simplest tissues in the body, yet they play fundamental roles in adult tissues, where they act as physical and mechanical barriers to separate the internal environment from the external environment, and in development, when the intrinsic forces they generate drive morphogenesis. At the molecular level, the mechanics of these simple tissues is believed to be dictated by the cytoskeletal and adhesive proteins that form the intercellular junctions that interface the constituent cells. However, a true quantitative understanding of how subcellular structures and individual cell behaviors govern tissue-scale monolayer mechanics is lacking. During development, tissue morphogenesis arises from the combination of a variety of individual cell behaviors such as oriented cell division, apical contraction, and cell intercalation. However, little is known about what mechanical forces and molecular processes act during each of these unitary cell behaviors. Mechanical forces appear to play a role in coordinating individual cell behaviors through mechanosensory feedback processes, yet our current understanding of mechanosensitivity remains qualitative.
The research will rely on a novel mechanical testing system recently developed in the Charras lab and interdisciplinary approaches to bridge the gap between molecular, cellular, and tissue-scales. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr Alexandre Kabla, Cambridge and Prof Buzz Baum, UCL. Work will be carried out at the London Centre for Nanotechnology. This ERC-funded project builds on previous work by the team (Harris AR et al, PNAS, 2012; Harris AR et al, J Cell Sci, 2014; Wyatt TPJ et al, PNAS, 2015).

The successful post-doc candidate will be an exceptional, highly-motivated and independent scientist with a PhD degree and a strong research track record in a relevant area of the Life Sciences or Physics, as well as experience at working within an interdisciplinary team. Experience of molecular cell biology, biophysics, microscopy, and programming is desired. Additional experience in developmental biology, and optogenetics will be an advantage. The position will be for three years starting on the 1st of March 2016. Appointment will be made with a salary in the range of £33,353-40,313 per year inclusive of London allowance and dependent on experience. Interested applicants should fill in an application online (see below) or email a cover letter, application form, CV and the names of two referees to Denise Ottley ([log in to unmask]). Informal inquiries about the position and project should be directed to Dr Guillaume Charras ([log in to unmask]) who will be supervising the research.

The official posting, Job description and Person Specification can be found at:
https://www.london-nano.com/our-people/vacancies/all. The reference number for this post is 1457077. Application forms can be downloaded from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/download_forms/job_app.doc. 
UCL is Taking Action for Equality. 

**The closing date for applications is 17th of December 2015.**