Ph.D. Student in Magdeburg/Germany
The Neuronetwork “CBBScircuits – A Neuronetwork for functional analysis of the engram connectome” offers for a skilled and highly motivated student one 3-years PhD position (TV-L E13 65%) at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany. Life is built of a myriad of events, but most of them tend to repeat on a daily basis. The brain is then faced with the challenge of storing highly similar experiences as independent memories. This is achieved through cognitive processes like pattern separation and pattern completion (Rolls, 2013 Front Syst Neurosci). In this NeuroNetwork we will employ state-of-the-art engram labeling and tracing technologies (Choi et al., 2018 Nature, Sakurai et al 2016, Neuron), in order to unravel the role of hippocampal circuits, oscillatory activity and synaptic proteins in pattern separation and pattern completion. The student will performed behavioral experiments with transgenic mouse lines, couple with optogenetics/viral injections, immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology techniques like western blot, qPCR and cloning. PROFILE The desired student has a master degree in Neuroscience or related field, hands-on experience on behavioral experiments, stereotaxic surgery and molecular biology experiments. Knowledge on programming (MATLAB/ R) is a plus. You will be part of the Kreutz Lab (www.kreutzlab.com), headed by Dr. Michael R. Kreutz, devoted to understand how activity-dependent gene expression feeds back to synaptic function and how this is related to the formation of a cellular engram (Koopmans et al., 2019 Neuron; Spilker et al., 2016, Plos Genetics; Karpova et a., 2013, Cell). Magdeburg is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, close to big centers like Berlin, Leipzig and Hannover, and with affordable costs of living. We offer excellent PhD supervision, including a thesis committee, participation in the local Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) graduate training program and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Collaborations within the CBBS and with international groups offer a competitive and instructive environment. Applicants should submit a CV, a motivation letter and two references to Dr. Guilherme Monteiro Gomes (ggomes@lin-magdeburg.de).
Master Project
Previous results from our lab and the lab of Bryen Jordan have shown that the transmembrane adaptor protein Prr7 translocates to the nucleus after NMDAR activation, where it can modulate c-Jun dependent gene expression (Kravchick et al., EMBO Journal, 2016). However, the protein was first identified at the postsynaptic density (PSD) in a complex with NMDAR and PSD95 suggesting an eventual synaptic function of the protein (Kravchick et al., EMBO Journal, 2016). This synaptic function of Prr7 is still largely enigmatic. In ongoing work we follow up on the hypothesis that the protein integrates pro-inflammatory and NMDAR signaling.
We are looking for a master student to evaluate this role in transgenic Prr7 mouse models. The candidate should have a background in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. Knowledge in Neuroscience is a plus. We will provide a HiWi contract if applicable. Requests and questions should be directed to mammar@lin-magdeburg.de.
We have currently no open positions but we are always considering applications of talented students for a Master thesis or a lab internship. We can help interested students at all levels to raise funds for a fellowship to join the labs in Hamburg and Magdeburg.