Master thesis work in Stem Cell Engineering

Stem cells derived cells have the potential to be used as highly relevant model of human tissue in health and disease. In this project we want to create a tissue mimic of stem cell derived cholinergic neurons in a three dimensional (3D) culture. The overall aim of is to use this cholinergic 3D culture as a model to study neurotrophin (NT) signaling of the CNS. NT signaling has high relevance for pain conditions and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer ´s disease.

Specific aims of the project will be:
-Derive and characterize cholinergic neurons from human neural stem cells
-Evaluate growth of cholinergic neurons in 3D cultures and on 2D micropatterns

Methods that will be used in the project are: conventional cell culture methods, immunohistochemistry combined with fluorescence microscopy, qPCR, 3D and 2D micropatterning.

We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled person, who is interested in getting the experience of working in an academic lab. The project has however connections to the pharmaceutical industry. Suitable background could be a molecular biology, biomedical or biological engineering program. Knowledge that is valued is stem cell science, neurobiology, surface chemistry, and micropatterning. Experience of cell culture is advantageous, but not necessary.

The master thesis work will be supervised by Dawei Zhang (PhD) and Anna Herland (project leader/PhD). Please contact [email protected] for further information. The master thesis work will be done in the Stem Cell Engineering lab headed by Ass. Prof. Ana Teixeira at CMB, Karolinska Institute during fall 2011/spring 2012. Application deadline is September 1st 2011, but a student could be requited prior to this date. Please include CV, references and a personal letter in the application.