Moris Lab | Germ cells in gastruloids

Crick; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Crick invites applications for a 2027 PhD project supervised by Naomi Moris, exploring germ cell maturation in embryology using mouse and human gastruloids. The project will examine endodermal and somatic tissue signals that influence germ cell fate, with characterisation and perturbation experiments planned.

Candidates with a strong developmental biology background, and desirable experience in stem cell culture or organoid/embryoid systems, are welcome.

Qualifications

• Very strong background in developmental biology.
• Desirable: experience with stem cell culture.
• Desirable: organoid/embryoid experience.
• Background in germline research.

Skills

Developmental biology

Stem cell culture

Organoid/embryoid

Germline research

Education

Background in developmental biology

Tools

Gastruloids

Job description

A 2027 Crick PhD project with Naomi Moris.

Project background and description

Gametes (sperm and egg) originate from progenitors called ‘germ cells’ that arise early in embryo development, and are crucial for the fertility of the offspring. Although they are specified around the time of gastrulation, germ cells must migrate through various tissues – including the endodermal tract – and mature towards specific fates, with unique transcriptional and epigenetic profiles. It is not well understood how this maturation process occurs, or how interactions between somatic cells and germ cell neighbours enables mature states to arise. We will use mouse and human gastruloids[1, 2] to explore how germ cells develop in vitro using gastruloids[3], with a focus on co-developmental interactions between germ cells and other somatic tissues. The candidate will examine the role of the endoderm and somatic tissues and the various signals that play a role in germ cell fate progression, using a range of characterisation techniques and perturbation experiments. The work will explore the role of signalling interactions in germ cell biology, with the potential to reveal insights into both fundamental developmental biology principles, with future implications for exploring mechanistic causes of infertility.

Candidate background

The project would suit candidates with a very strong background in developmental biology. Desirable skills include experience of stem cell culture, organoid/embryoid experience, and background in germline research.

What do you think is one of the most important unanswered questions in developmental biology, and what makes you think it is an important question to investigate?

References

Symmetry breaking, germ layer specification and axial organisation in aggregates of mouse embryonic stem cells.

An in vitro model of early anteroposterior organization during human development.

3. Cooke, C.B., Barrington, C., Baillie-Benson, P., Nichols, J. and Moris, N. (2023)

Gastruloid-derived primordial germ cell-like cells develop dynamically within integrated tissues.

Tissue and cell interactions in mammalian PGC development.