1) two year Post-Doc position available at the Department of Biology in Milan=2C Italy=2C in = the lab of Claudia Ricci=2C claudia=2Ericci=40unimi=2Eit=2E Deadline=3A 27 A= pril 2007=A0 =
Analysis of the nervous system of bdelloid rotifers and its role in anhy= drobiosis=2E=A0 = Almost all 380 species of Bdelloidea (phylum Rotifera) live in freshwater (Segers=2C 2002)=2C but most of them are able to survive lack of water entering a form of dormancy known as anhydrobiosis (Ricci et al=2E=2C 19= 87=3B Ricci=2C 1998=2C 2001)=2E Anhydrobiotic animals undergo a series of adaptations at morphological=2C metabolic=2C and biochemical level (Crow= e=2C 1971)=2E = In detail=2C due to evaporation of water=2C the bdelloids contract in a characteristic tun shape=2C which slows down water lost=2C= compacting tissues and organs in ordered and rigorous ways (Dickson =26 Mercer=2C 1967=3B Schramm =26 Becker=2C 1987)=2E Plausibly=2C the nervous system=2C together with the cytoskeleton=2C is highly involved i= n activating the events leading the rotifer to its dormant state=2E Nevertheless=2C few studies dealt with functional and morphological aspects of the nervous system in rotifers (see Hochberg=2C 2006)=2C and almost nothing is known in bdelloid rotifers=2E Aims of the projects are=3A - describing the structure and ultra-structure of the nervous system in = hydrated and dormant bdelloids=2C - elaborating a model to understand how the nervous system is involved i= n anhydrobiotic response=2C=A0=A0=A0 = - disentangling the role of the cytoskeleton in the mechanisms involved = in anhydrobiosis=2E For details=2C look at the application form (in Italian only=2C but an E= nglish version will be soon available)=3A http=3A//www=2Eunimi=2Eit/rice= rca/assegni=5Fricerca/7550=2Ehtm=A0=A0=A0 = 2) Another post-doc position will be opened soon=2E This will involve the analysis of DNA damage in bdelloid rotifers after stressful events (eg dehydration=2C radiation=2C freezing)=2C and of the subsequent repair mechanisms after recovering=2E=A0=A0=A0 = Experience with microscopic organisms ir preferred=2C together with knowledge of techniques of DNA double strand breakage (tunel assay=2C comet assay=2C markers=2C etc)=2E= If you are interested=2C please contact prof=2E Claudia Ricci=2C Departm= ent of Biology=2C Universita=27 di Milano=2C = claudia=2Ericci=40unimi=2Eit = http=3A//users=2Eunimi=2Eit/ricci
