Investigating the interaction of endothelial neuropilin-2 and alpha5-integrin during angiogenesis; a sticky business. (SSA)

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Angiogenesis is the formation of blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Angiogenesis is essential for maintaining healthy physiological processes and for the revascularisation of tissues following an injury. Our research group focuses on investigating the molecular basis of angiogenesis and we have recently identified a novel interaction between two cell surface proteins expressed by endothelial cells involved in this process.The goal of the studentship would be to determine how endothelial neuropilin-2 and alpha5-integrin proteins interact to regulate angiogenesis at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels. This project would give the student experience in a wide range of cross-disciplinary techniques, including working with knockout mice, endothelial cell isolation, cell imaging, and tissue culture. The student would learn standard techniques such as western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and the use of confocal microscopy. The project would involve culture of endothelial cells and a variety of migration, sprouting and in vitro assays which model angiogenesis. The project aims to use conditional knockout mice to determine the in vivo function of these two proteins during developmental angiogenesis and following a vascular injury.