We encourage interested B.Sc. and M.Sc. students to contact us about potential projects. Projects will be offered at our Potsdam location. We also encourage applications from elsewhere, possibly through the Erasmus programme.
Topics of the projects have Molecular Biology at the core.
B.Sc. Research Projects
A common theme will be to generate targeted genomic deletions of regions of interest using two flanking gRNAs, essentially as described here, but with a few new tricks. This method spans several months, so B.Sc. projects could target completing the individual components of the procedure to create a targeted deletion in genomes (most likely Arabidopsis). This includes:
Cloning
Plant transformation
Seed selection using fluorescence screening
Isolation of homozygous deletions
Removal of the CRISPR/Cas9 transgene triggering genome engineering
Characterization of the biological effects caused by the mutations
A common situation will be that your project will be aligned with a lab member, so that you can help each other.
M.Sc. Research Projects
A. Targeted genomic deletions
The timeframe of M.Sc. research projects gives you the opportunity to complete a project with the goal to delete a region in a plant genome — from design of the gRNAs to the identification of the mutation. We will usually be interested in regions of the plant non-coding genome that may play functional roles in plant cells.
B. Targeted genome engineering using CRISPR/dCas9
M.Sc. projects are available for targeted genome engineering using CRISPR/dCas9. The aim is to modify the local epi-genome of a target locus by recruiting chromatin-modifying payload proteins through gRNA/DNA interactions. Projects may include characterisation of existing tools we have generated, or the design of new tools.
C. RNA Polymerase II elongation and Transcription Start Sites
A focus of our research is the interplay between RNA Polymerase II elongation and the inhibition of Transcription Start Sites (TSSs) by the elongating polymerase (read more). Projects dissecting the interplay between chromatin organisation and TSSs are available — for example, using genome-wide methods to detect TSSs in chromatin mutants, or by targeted dissection of these events at target loci.
Interested? Please get in touch with a brief description of your background and interests!
