The Department

The Department of Biosciences is consistently ranked in the top 5 UK Biological Sciences Departments in the Complete University Guide, and was ranked 8th for Research Impact in REF2014. We aim to appoint outstanding new academic staff to strengthen research in cross-disciplinary approaches to fundamental biological questions, with impact on the bioeconomy, and to provide students with an outstanding educational and training experience. Research is focused around four key themes - animal cells & systems; biomolecular interactions; ecology, evolution & environment (EEE); and molecular plant sciences. We offer degree programmes in BSc Biological Sciences and a 4-year MBiol, while also contributing to Natural Sciences.
The Department of Biosciences is committed to recruiting and supporting the career development of applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. Durham University offers a generous scheme for maternity leave (https://www.dur.ac.uk/hr/policies/leave/maternity/guidelinesemployee/) as well as arrangements for paternity leave (https://www.dur.ac.uk/hr/policies/leave/paternity/guideemployees/) and a nursery run by the University (https://www.dur.ac.uk/university.nursery/).

The Role

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on a project, using a range of advanced cellular imaging techniques and genetically engineered cancer cell lines to develop methods to understand how cellular and nuclear biomechanics determine metastasis, entitled:
"LINC-NET: A Bio-image Data Driven Informatics Approach Quantifying Nuclear Biomechanics that Predicts Metastasis".

Metastatic tumours require migration through protein-rich/cell-dense physical barriers. A common parameter defining metastasis is nuclear biomechanics. Nuclei are rigid and bulky, which physically impede cell migration in space-restrictive environments. Therefore, nuclear stiffness studies may facilitate novel insights into metastatic cancer stratification and drug development.
The aim of this project is to develop novel nanostructure-based bioimaging software and prognostic tools, which predict tumour invasiveness and stratify metastatic cancers for effective treatment based on their nuclear stiffness properties. This 3-year project is in a collaboration between Dr Iakowos Karakesisoglou, Department of Biosciences and Dr Boguslaw Obara, Department of Computer Science, Durham University, UK.

The role of the post holder is to:
1) Identify the perinuclear structural networks, which control biomechanics in breast cancer cell lines.
2) Assess nuclear malleability/structure and cancer cell invasion using sophisticated 2D/3D restrictive porous scaffolds.
3) Generate correlative nano-scale resolution microscopy (AFM, LM-superresolution, EM) datasets of standardised 3D/4D perinuclear network images in fixed/living migratory cancer cells, grown in defined 2D micropatterned and 3D restrictive environments.
4) Work closely with the second post holder on this projects to: a) Develop in silico approaches to quantify multidimensional image data, and matching tools that correlate perinuclear network organisation with nuclear/cell stiffness and 3D migration. b) Generate accurate whole-nucleus scale 3D mathematical models inferring cancer cell stiffness and invasiveness.
5) Generate and validate biomechanics-inspired antibody-based pan-cancer prognostic tool-kits.
The post requires good skills in reporting research progress verbally, and in writing.