A 3year PhD thesis fellowship financed by the French Atomic Energy Commission and entitled "Study of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins for super resolution imaging"
is to be had for autumn 2011.
Description:
Super-resolution fluorescence imaging has recently revolutionized cell biology, because it allows imaging live cells with a spatial resolution of ~20 nm, at least 10 times better than previously achieved with classical fluorescence microscopy. This provides unprecedented opportunities for new research at the frontier between structural biology and cell biology.
Like all fluorescence-based cell imaging techniques, super resolution microscopy relies on the use of fluorescent markers. Fluorescent proteins from the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family are exquisite markers because they can be genetically expressed, for example as fusion tags (see Chemistry Nobel Prize 2008).
In our team, we study the fluorescence behaviour ("photophysics") of fluorescent proteins in order to optimize them as markers. We also recently engaged into developing one super-resolution imaging technique called PALM (Photo-Activation Localization Microscopy). This technique is based on the use of particular fluorescent proteins that are "photoactivatable", that is their fluorescence can be turned on or off at will with suitable laser light.
The goal of this thesis project will be to study and design enhanced photoactivatable fluorescent proteins and to apply them to PALM super resolution imaging. This is a project at the frontier between physics and biology which will involve a number of techniques ranging from X-ray crystallography, optical spectroscopy, single molecule imaging, to super resolution fluorescence microscopy.
Contact:
Martin BYRDIN
CEA Grenoble
Pixel(IBS/iRTSV)
Bât 40.05 - Pièce 5245
fon 0033(0)4 38 78 24 22
17, rue des Martyrs
38054 Grenoble Cedex 09
http://www.ibs.fr/groups/dynamics-and-kinetics-of-molecular/pixel/
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