Project summary The nucleolus is a biomolecular condensate formed by liquid–liquid phase separation where early ribosome biogenesis occurs. Its material state is stress-responsive and correlates with disease. This project asks whether, and how, the nucleolar material state is altered in cancer, and what consequences this has for nucleolar function and RNA metabolism.

You will:

1. Quantify nucleolar material state using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) in cancer cell panels ± chemotherapeutics (e.g., CX-5461, oxaliplatin) and in engineered optogenetic models that tune condensate properties.
2. Map rRNA processing and modification to define molecular “fingerprints” (cell type, disease grade), leveraging short-read and Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing.
3. Probe ADAR A-to-I editing in the nucleolus: test the hypothesis that nucleolar sequestration limits excessive ADAR activity by enforcing nucleolar localization and assaying global effects on RNA processing and gene expression.

This project aligns with EURECA’s objectives and will yield new insights into how condensate material state intersects with RNA metabolism and cancer biology.

Your role

• Generate and analyze imaging (DHM) and sequencing datasets (RNA-seq, Ribo-seq where relevant; nanopore long-read).

• Perform computational analysis: differential expression, splicing, RNA processing and modification profiling.

• Present results in lab meetings, consortium workshops, and international conferences; draft manuscripts.

EURAXESS Job offer