Time-keeping mechanisms in Drosophila embryonic development

描述(由申请人提供)：应聘者目前是普林斯顿大学分子生物学系Eric Wieschaus教授实验室的生命科学研究员。这位候选人因从事定量细胞生物学研究而获得洛克菲勒大学的博士学位。在博士后奖学金期间，候选人正在过渡到发育生物学领域。候选人将应用以前研究中的定量和分析技术以及遗传学和发育生物学的进一步培训来研究胚胎发育过程中细胞行为的时间控制。美国国立卫生研究院独立之路奖将在这一过渡期为候选人提供必要的支持。该奖项将允许候选人获得遗传学和发育生物学方面的新技能，并建立新的研究方向。应聘者将有机会在普林斯顿大学攻读研究生课程《多细胞生物遗传学》，以及分别在冷泉港实验室和海洋生物实验室选修课程《真核基因表达》和《基因调控网络促进发育》。候选人将研究通过控制果蝇胚胎发育过程中的基因表达、信号和蛋白质降解来确保细胞分裂的精确时间调节的分子机制。在K99奖项阶段，候选人将1)对信号系统的整合时间进行理论分析2)进行遗传筛选和分子生物学实验以确定CDC25转录的调节因子(细胞周期的限速激活因子)3)确定CDC25蛋白质降解在母体到受精卵的转变中的调节的重要性，这是一种关键的发育转变。这些目标将通过结合遗传学、胚胎学、分子生物学、定量活体成像和数学建模来实现。在获奖的R00阶段，候选人将通过确定确保CDC25以高时间精度转录和降解的分子机制以及通过分析细胞周期控制之外的信号系统来扩大研究范围。应聘者最终希望在研究和教学方面追求学术生涯。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate is currently a Life Science Research Fellow in the laboratory of Professor Eric Wieschaus in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. The candidate was awarded a PhD from The Rockefeller University for research in quantitative cell biology. During the Postdoctoral Fellowship, the candidate is transitioning to the field of developmental biology. The candidate will apply the quantitative and analytical techniques from previous research as well as further training in genetics and developmental biology to the study of the control of timing of cell behaviors during embryonic development. The NIH Pathway to Independence Award would provide necessary support to the candidate during this transition period. The award would allow the candidate to acquire new skills in genetics and developmental biology as well as to establish novel research directions. The candidate will benefit from the opportunity to take the graduate course 'Genetics of Multicellular Organisms' at Princeton University as well as the courses 'Eukaryotic Gene Expression' and 'Gene Regulatory Networks for Development' at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and at the Marine Biological Laboratory respectively. The candidate will study the molecular mechanisms ensuring precise temporal regulation of cell division through control of gene expression, signaling and protein degradation during Drosophila embryonic development. During the K99 phase of the award, the candidate will 1) Develop theoretical analysis of the integration time of signaling systems 2) Perform genetic screens and molecular biology experiments to identify regulators of Cdc25 transcription (rate-limiting activator of the cell cycl) 3) Determine the importance of regulation of Cdc25 protein degradation at the maternal-to-zygotic transition, a critical developmental transition. These aims will be accomplished by combining genetics, embryology, molecular biology, quantitative live imaging and mathematical modeling. During the R00 phase of the award, the candidate will extend the research by determining the molecular mechanisms ensuring that Cdc25 is transcribed and degraded with high temporal precision and by analyzing signaling systems beyond cell cycle control. The candidate ultimately desires to pursue an academic career in research and teaching.