Post-Doc Associate - Barr Lab

This is an NIH-funded postdoctoral research position. The long-term goal of this research project is to understand how cilia function. Cilia and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are signaling organelles that play important roles in human health and disease. We recently showed that C. elegans ciliated sensory neurons release bioactive, polycystin-containing EVs. In humans, mutations in the polycystin-encoding PKD1 and PKD2 genes cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In C. elegans and mammals, the polycystins act in the same genetic pathway, act in a sensory capacity, localize to cilia, and are contained in secreted EVs, indicating ancient functions. EV shedding from ciliated cells is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon, yet remarkably little is known about the relationship between the polycystins, cilia, and EVs and the fundamental biology of EVs. The primary role of this position is to design, perform, and interpret experiments to address central questions regarding the biology of cilia, EVs, and the polycystins.

PhD and some postdoctoral experience

Required professional experience includes biochemistry (sucrose gradient fractionation, mRNA isolation and quantification, immunodetection of protein abundance, analytical biochemistry of lipids, carbohydrates, and amino acids); animal physiology (breeding and genotyping, neurological and behavioral analysis); molecular biology (gene engineering and cloning, analytical purification of nucleic acids in agarose and polyacrylamide gels, protein expression and purification. Analytical in vitro kinase, protease, and nuclease assays. In house preparation of in vitro translation systems from eukaryotic cells, use of the Firefly and Renilla luciferase reporter gene expression systems); bioinformatics (library preparation for RNASeq. Complete processing of raw sequencing files to reveal differentially expressed genes).

Research: Independent research and experimentation inclulding injections/transgenesis, C. elegans genetics, molecular biology, microscopy (dissecting, epifluorescence/Nomarski, confocal, time lapse), biochemistry, behavioral assays.

Writing: manuscripts on results and interpretations of research projects; fellowship/grant applications to obtain independent funding.

Lab responsibilities including routine lab maintenance and/or supervising trainees

Life Science Building

145 Bevier Road

Piscataway, NJ 08854