The following PhD positions are available:

PhD positions

Position 1

Project title:Role of DDX11, the Warsaw breakage syndrome DNA helicase, at the interface between chromosomal cohesion and replication

Supervisor: Francesca Pisani (francesca.pisani@ibbc.cnr.it), Istituto di Biochimica e Biologia Cellulare - Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (IBBC – CNR), Naples, Italy

Keywords: molecular biology, gene editing, cell biology, protein/protein interaction analysis

Lab webpage: http://www.ibbc.cnr.it/researchers/francesca-maria-pisani/

Position 2

Project title: In vitro reconstitution of the de novo human cohesin loading pathway operating at the DNA replication fork

Supervisor: Castrese Morrone (castrese.morrone@ibbc.cnr.it), Istituto di Biochimica e Biologia Cellulare - Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (IBBC – CNR), Naples, Italy

Keywords: molecular biology, correlative optical tweezers fluorescence microscopy for single-molecule studies, biochemistry

Lab webpage: http://www.ibbc.cnr.it/researchers/francesca-maria-pisani/

Position 3

Project title: Structural biology of DNA loop extrusion by cohesin

Supervisor: Jan Löwe (jyl@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk), MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Keywords: cryo-EM, in vitro reconstitution, biochemistry

Lab webpage: https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/group-leaders/h-to-m/jan-lowe/

Position 4

Project title: Cohesin-mediated processes regulated by associated chromatin remodelling complexes

Supervisor: Dana Branzei (dana.branzei@ifom.eu), IFOM ETS, Istituto Fondazione di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy

Keywords: cohesion, chromatin remodelers, cohesin dynamics, sister chromatid resolution, mitotic condensation

Lab webpage: https://www.ifom.eu/en/cancer-research/research-labs/research-lab-branzei.php

Position 5

Project title: In vivo imaging of cohesin-mediated loop extrusion during DNA double strand break repair

Supervisor: Gaëlle Legube (gaelle.legube@univ-tlse3.fr),Centre de biologie intégrative - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CBI – CNRS), Toulouse, France

Keywords: DSB repair, cohesin dynamics, live-cell imaging, Hi-C

Lab webpage: https://www.legubelab.com

Position 6

Project title: Novel regulators of sister chromatid cohesion

Supervisor: Raquel Oliveira (rcoliveira@igc.gulbenkian.pt), Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian – Instituto Gubenkian de Ciência (FCG - IGC), Oeiras, Portugal

Keywords: mitosis, genetic screens, live-cell imaging analysis, cohesin regulators

Lab webpage:www.chromosomedynamicslab.com

Position 7

Project title: Molecular mechanisms that control DNA loop extrusion by cohesin

Supervisor: Jan-Michael Peters (Jan-Michael.Peters@imp.ac.at), Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria

Keywords: atomic force microscopy, biochemistry, biophysics, cohesin, CTCF, DNA loop extrusion, FRET, mechanism, MINFLUX, single-molecule imaging, cryo-EM

Lab webpage: https://www.imp.ac.at/groups/jan-michael-peters/

Position 8

Project title: Dynamic single-molecule studies of cohesin: using optical tweezers to analyse cohesin dynamics on single DNA molecules and single chromatin fibres

Supervisor: Mattijs De Groot (m.degroot@lumicks.com), Lumicks B. V. (LUMICKS) Amsterdam, Netherlands

Keywords: single-molecule methods, optical tweezers, fluorescent microscopy, cell biology, molecular biology,biochemistry

Lab webpage: https://lumicks.com

Position 9

Project title: Cohesin (mal)functioning in cohesinopathies

Supervisor: Job de Lange (j.delange1@amsterdamumc.nl), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (VUMC), Amsterdam, Netherlands

Keywords: cohesinopathies, gene editing, disease modeling

Lab webpage: https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/researchers/job-de-lange.htm

Position 10

Project title: Roles of newly discovered DNA replication and transcription regulatory genes essential for survival of ESCO2 and DDX11 deficient cells

Supervisor: Rob Wolthuis (r.wolthuis@amsterdamumc.nl), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (VUMC), Amsterdam, Netherlands

Keywords: DNA replication, gene transcription, cohesin biology

Lab webpage: https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/researchers/rob-wolthuis.htm

Position 11

Project title: Development of stem cell-based models of cohesinopathies in vitro

Supervisor: Marina Tarunina (marina@plasticell.co.uk), Plasticell Ltd (PLASTICELL), Stevenage, United Kingdom

Keywords:  induced-pluripotent stem cells, cell differentiation mechanisms; cohesinopathies; disease modeling, CombiCult® platform 

Lab webpage: http://www.plasticell.co.uk

Position 12

Project title: Crosstalk of cohesin and Polycomb in differentiated and cancer cells

Supervisor: Ana Losada (alosada@cnio.es), Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain

Keywords: 3D genome organization, (epi)genomics, molecular biology

Lab webpage: https://www.cnio.es/personas/ana-losada/

• 3-year full-time employment contract in accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action regulations
• Monthly living allowance: 3,400 euro/month (€ 40,800/year); this amount is then adjusted through the application of a country correction coefficient to the living allowance of the country in which the researcher is recruited. The country correction coefficients are indicated in Table 1 of the MSCA Work Programme
• Monthly mobility allowance: 600 euro/month
• Monthly family allowance, if applicable and depending on the family situation: 660 euro/month
• Enrollment in a local PhD school 
• Access to state-of-the-art research and supervision by recognized experts
• Participation in network-wide training activities, workshops and conferences
• Secondments periods at other network partners’ labs

Candidates must comply with the following requirements:

• Have not been resident or have conducted main activity (studies, work, etc.) for more than 12 months within the last three years in the country where the project will take place
• Have not been awarded a doctoral degree
• Be fluent in English

The selection procedure will consist of the following steps:

• Eligibility check: The Recruitment Committee will check each application is complete and that applicants fulfil the eligibility criteria described in the previous section.
• Remote Evaluation: each eligible application will be evaluated independently by the PIs of our network, according to the project options expressed by the applicants. The PIs will select at least four candidates per position to pass through to the following stage.
• Online interviews: The short-listed candidates will be interviewed by a Selection Committee that will include the recruiting PIs plus one/two additional consortium members with a balance in terms of gender and academic/private sector representation. Candidates, positively evaluated but not initially called for interviews, will be put on a reserve list.
• Notification of the selection outcomes: Short-listed candidates will be informed about the outcome, and those selected will be put in touch with the corresponding PI and the HR Department of the hosting institution to initiate the hiring procedure. Applicants who have not been successful but who have received a positive evaluation will be put on a waiting list to cover possible renunciations and future positions.

 Recruitment calendar:

• Call opening: 1st February 2023
• Deadline for applications: 2nd April 2023
• Remote evaluation: 3rd – 30th April 2023
• Interviews: 2nd May 2023 – 20th June 2023
• Notification to candidates: 30th June 2023
• Start date of the fellowship: September/October 2023

Candidates are invited to send the following documents to:

Francesca M. Pisani, Istituto di Biochimica e Biologia Cellulare - CNR, Naples, Italy, Coordinator of the CohesiNet Doctoral Network; e-mail: cohesinet.management@ibbc.cnr.it:

1. A CV including personal information (such as full name, date of birth, nationality and contact details); education and work experiences language skills and other relevant skills; indication of at least two scientists for reference letters
2. A certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of exams taken with relative mark. A certified/signed copy of Master of Science certificate. 
3. List of positions each candidate is interested in. Please choose between 3 (minimum) to 12 positions (if applying to all projects), indicating their order of preference (nr 1 should be the preferred one), using the reference for each project.
4. Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) highlighting your research experience and academic achievements and explaining why you are interested in the CohesiNet program and in the selected research projects.

Candidates are encouraged to contact the supervisors by email to discuss the details of the projects, before applying.