Postdoc – zebrafish, neurodevelopmental disorders, drug discovery, proteins

Job Title: Postdoc – zebrafish, neurodevelopmental disorders, drug discovery, proteins

Job Number: 81653

Location: Worcester, US

Job Description

The Thyme lab (https://www.thymelab.org/) uses zebrafish as a model system to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. There are no effective pharmacological treatments for intellectual disability, a hallmark of many genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. There are three complementary parts of our research strategy, dedicated to ultimately discovering new therapies.  First, we must increase our understanding of the requisite cell types, signaling pathways, and connections that allow learning. Correlating molecular changes over development with behavioral transitions will nominate underlying pathways. Second, we characterize genes involved in human neurodevelopmental disorders, with a specific focus on Down syndrome. Disrupting learning and memory with genetic perturbation can further highlight the proteins and pathways required to perform these behaviors. Third, we are building multiple approaches for drug discovery, including computational prediction and new sequencing-based tools. Together, these three directions support our long-term goal of developing molecules that modulate the development and function of cell types essential to intellectual capacity.

The Thyme lab is a unique environment as it merges the divergent approaches of Dr. Thyme’s graduate work in protein engineering and postdoctoral work in zebrafish neurobiology. The lab is an ideal fit for a candidate with an interest in either area who wants to explore a new and different direction without risk, as the lab’s diversity offers the possibility of backup projects in both fields. For example, applicants could include a biochemist who wants to gain experience with a model organism or anyone with zebrafish expertise who wants to explore the details of proteins underlying neurodevelopmental disorders or do tool development. Applicants could also include someone with experience in a different model system, such as Drosophila or C. Elegans, who is interested in developing skills with zebrafish. Those who want to bring a new field to the lab are welcome to merge their graduate skills with zebrafish research and create their own unique brand. For example, someone with stem cell expertise could design a project that leverages the expertise in our lab but also uses iPSC neurons. Especially for postdoctoral researchers, I am very open to designing individualized projects in new areas as long as they fall within our overall goals described above.

Experiments could potentially utilize the following techniques depending on the project: molecular biology (PCR, cloning), zebrafish genome-editing, zebrafish line maintenance, antibody staining, RNA in situ analysis, high-resolution imaging, biochemistry (protein purification), high-throughput larval behavior, juvenile behavior, developing new behavioral assays, drug screens, protein directed evolution, and transcriptomics (bulk and single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq). Analysis of most data from the lab requires cluster computing, and postdocs will be trained in this area as well as in Python scripting or other languages if there is an interest or need.

The lab opened in July 2019, and Dr. Thyme was awarded several highly prestigious new faculty awards, including the Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship and Pew Biomedical Scholars Award. Research from the past few years (multiple papers in preparation) includes genes that increase risk for autism (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.18.576309v1) and schizophrenia, unstudied proteins with domains of unknown function (the dark proteome) and likely neurobiological roles, and conserved alternative splicing events that are important to normal neurodevelopment. Funding for this position could come from one of these NIH R01s: https://reporter.nih.gov/search/dkfhjpQR6kCG2CBAHTNL4g/project-details/10879902 and https://reporter.nih.gov/search/dkfhjpQR6kCG2CBAHTNL4g/project-details/10883966

To apply or inquire further, please send a brief email of interest and CV to [Please click the Apply button for the link or email]

Application Deadline: 2024-12-31