Genetic controls for hydrozoan life-cycle reversal: inventory and expression studies

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Project objective

The European Community supports two-year post-doctoral positions in the Laboratory of Marine Zoology, Biology Department, at the University of Lecce, Italy. Successful applicants will work together with highly motivated collaborators in a newly established laboratory on developmental biology of marine Hydrozoa. Several marine hydrozoans display an unparalleled potential of life-cycle reversal among Metazoa. Such backward ontogeny is possible through re-activation of genetic switches leading to cell changes and transdifferentiation and, ultimately, to tissues and body plan reorganization. These animals, at the base of Metazoa radiation, are thus good candidates as innovative model system for molecular studies on evolution and development. Our laboratory has a long-lasting reputation on life cycle studies on hydrozoans, and collaborations are currently running with laboratories throughout the world on topics from molecular evolution and phylogeny to developmental biology, ecology, and alpha-taxonomy. Scope of the MEDUSA project is to start a long-term research project to elucidate the molecular mechanisms controlling the life cycle reversal and cell transdifferentiation. As a starting approach, we want to explore by RT-PCR and in site hybridization the diversity of homeobox-containing genes and their expression patterns at all stages of normal and reversed life cycle. Highly qualified candidates with experience in gene cloning, construction and analysis of genomic and cDNA libraries, in site hybridization protocols for marine invertebrates, sequence alignment, are thus invited to apply. Applications including CV, a list of relevant publications (last 5 years) , names and addresses of two academic referees should be sent by regular mail or e-mail to Dr Stefano Piraino, Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Lecce, via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Tel. ++390832320616, e-mail: stefano.piraino@unile.it

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Participants

• Università degli Studi di Lecce · LECCECoordinatorItaly

Links

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