Intestinal organoids are a highly sophisticated three-dimensional in vitro model to investigate the physiology and pathophysiology of the epithelium. We have established canine intestinal organoid cultures from all different sections of the dog intestine, which can be used for disease modelling. In contrast to rodents, dogs also spontaneously develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) just as humans do and therefore pose a relevant model for translational research.

The successful applicant will develop a lentiviral gene transfer system to transfect canine organoids with a redox sensitive protein to analyse the redox status of organoids in live cell imaging. Furthermore organoids from healthy donors can be compared to organoids from IBD patients or healthy organoids can be manipulated to more closely resemble a disease state.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

• BSc Degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedicine or a related subject

• Experience with sterile cell culture work

• Fluent in English

Prerequisites:

• Interest in infection biology, strong motivation to engage in the project

• High reliability and great team-working skills

• Experience with molecular/cell biology techniques

• Experience with imaging techniques

• Experience with lentiviral gene transfer