Host: The Medical University of Gdańsk
PhD study topic: Establishment and assessment of interaction between blood platelets and pancreatic organoids. The impact of nanoparticles-drugs on pancreatic organoids and pancreatic cancer cells-induced platelets aggregation
Main supervisor: prof. Iwona Inkielewicz-Stępniak (iwona.inkielewicz-stepniak@gumed.edu.pl)
Duration: 36 months
Required profile: Master in Medical, Life or Biological Sciences, experience in cell culture, western blot technique, flow cytometry. Experience in platelet isolation is very welcome.
Description: Organoids are a new model system in cancer research and they enable researchers to perform screening of new potential drugs taking into account penetration and interaction with the extracellular matrix components (ECM). Platelets play a key role in metastasis of cancer cells and their interaction with tumour microenvironment, including ECM, can provide an important therapeutic target. The ESR will learn to isolate and cultivate pancreatic organoids from different sources as well as platelet from blood samples. The ESR will develop a new model for study the interaction between organoids and blood platelets collected from patients with pancreatic cancer cells to measure tumor cells-induced platelets aggregation (TCIPA): aggregation, cell viability and secretion of growth factors. We will attempt to use our model to check influence of blood platelets on chemoresistance, metastasis as well as to assess the impact of new synthesized nanoparticles-drugs on pancreatic cancer cells death (apoptosis, necroptosis) using organoids.
Link for applicants: http://precode-project.eu/jobs-board/#1572451701572-f2f91fc0-db2e