I would be very grateful if you would post and circulate this
advert--including electronically.
Thanks and regards,
Fran
Postdoctoral position available ASAP:
To study molecular and cellular biology and pathogenesis of Giardia
lamblia:
Requirements: Experience in molecular biology and preferably
biochemistry and cell biology. Experience with parasites is not needed.
Giardia is a major cause of waterborne intestinal disease and is
also of basic biological interest as one of the earliest known eukaryotic
organisms, with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic properties. Our group's
orientation is unusual because we focus broadly on this organism and are
not tied to specific techniques (Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 50: 679-705,1996).
We ask cutting edge questions and design creative approaches to achieve
incisive answers.
Our well-funded lab has completed the giardial life cycle in vitro
for the first time, by inducing the flagellated "trophozoite" form that
colonizes the small intestine to differentiate into cysts that survive in
cold water. We discovered a novel regulated secretory pathway for the
transport of cyst wall proteins during encystation. Cysts infect a new host
by responding to signals from the host that lead to a rapid and dramatic
differentiation. Excystation entails establishing cellular polarity, cell
division, attachment, increases in metabolism, and antigenic switching.
Giardia is also a valuable model for study of the
prokaryotic-eukaryotic divergence and we are actively involved in
biological aspects of a giardial genome project (PNAS 95:229-234, 1998;
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, in press).
Current questions include:
1. How are giardial genes regulated during differentiation?
2. What are the cell signaling pathways in differentiation and
pathogenesis?
3. How are components of the cyst wall transported and how is this
fibrous structure assembled?
4. What are the structure and function of the unusual cysteine-rich
variant surface protein of Giardia?
5. What can Giardial genes and pathways tell us about the evolution of
the eukaryotic cell?
6. How does Giardia make people sick?
For information or to apply, please contact Dr. Frances Gillin:
email: fgillin at ucsd.edu
Current references are needed and laboratory visit is desirable.
Frances D. Gillin, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Pathology
Division of Infectious Diseases
Member, Center for Molecular Genetics
University of California at San Diego
School of Medicine
Telephone:619-543-6146
FAX: 619-543-6614