Christen Lab, Microscopy, Illuminating signaling networks in bacteria

Background

The Christen lab pioneers FRET-microscopy technologies to study bacterial signalling with single cell resolution (Christen et al. Science 2010). To illuminate how cells process information and modulate their signalling activities, we have engineered ultra-sensitive genetically encoded biosensor that resolve fluctuations of a few hundred signalling molecules in the millisecond range in living bacterial cells.

Project

In this Master project you will study a bacterial second messenger network that triggers cellular heterogeneity in microbial communities. Your will generate a hyper-saturated transposon perturbation library. Using fluorescence assisted cell sorting (FACS), you will screen for mutations that impair signal propagation. Signalling mutants will be mapped by high-throughput transposon sequencing and characterized in detail by time laps FRET microscopy. Image analysis algorithms in Matlab and ImageJ will be used to quantify signalling kinetics and to model the underlying signalling network. This Master project offers the unique opportunity to acquire a quantitative understanding of second messenger dynamics within microbial populations.

Skills: Interest in second messengers signalling, single cell analysis and FRET microscopy.

Duration: 3-6 months, position immediately available

Supervision and additional information: Matthias Christen