Open positions

If you are interested in a doctoral or postdoctoral position, please submit your CV and a short summary of your research experience by email.Please refer to the ad listed below:



2 Open positions for PhD students

Our group is generally interested in telomere biology and DNA replication and how they are regulated in terms of aging and promoting genomic stability. Specifically we are interested in how the non-coding RNA, TERRA, is impinging on telomere biology in terms of replication, heterochromatin establishment, localization, and telomerase regulation. We are mainly using the budding yeast as a genetic system to address these questions via genetic, molecular biological, and biochemical approaches. These aspects of cell biology are critical to understand in terms of aging and cancer biology.
There are currently 2 open positions for:

2 PhD students to carry out projects designed at better understanding TERRA regulation and function using a variety of genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches. (one starting Feb. 1, 2010 and one starting March 1, 2010). One project would specifically be aimed at trying to understand TERRA function and how it may affect telomerase regulation and heterochromatin establishment at the telomere. The second project would be focused on trying to discover novel regulatory (cis and trans) elements that control TERRA function, as well as understanding how these elements are controlled in terms of aging and ‘telomere stress’.


Relevant references:

Luke B, Lingner J (2009) TERRA: telomeric repeat-containing RNA. EMBO J 28(17): 2503-2510
Luke B, Panza A, Redon S, Iglesias N, Li Z, Lingner J (2008) The Rat1p 5' to 3' exonuclease degrades telomeric repeat-containing RNA and promotes telomere elongation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell 32(4): 465-477
Azzalin CM, Reichenbach P, Khoriauli L, Giulotto E, Lingner J (2007) Telomeric repeat containing RNA and RNA surveillance factors at mammalian chromosome ends. Science 318(5851): 798-801
Caslini C, Connelly JA, Serna A, Broccoli D, Hess JL (2009) MLL associates with telomeres and regulates telomeric repeat-containing RNA transcription. Mol Cell Biol
Chawla R, Azzalin CM (2008) The telomeric transcriptome and SMG proteins at the crossroads. Cytogenet Genome Res 122(3-4): 194-201

Otherwise please visit http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/jobs/default.html for additional possible openings in my lab.