Cellular and Molecular Biology

Thesis available for the syudy of the influence of microbiota on peripheral nerve development and regeneration, under the supervision of prof Giulia Ronchi and me.

A relevance for microbiota in modulating tissue development and healing has been recently emerging, but to date a direct link between microbiota and peripheral nervous system (PNS) is under-investigated. This is the gap this project aims to fill in, by exploring the impact of microbiota on development and in the response to traumatic median nerve injury, defining histological and molecular details pointing at mechanisms underlying this crosstalk.

To this aim we have samples of peripheral nervous system tissues originating from mice grown in the absence of microbiota (germ free), colonized by known microbiota, grown in normal condition (with a "normal" endogenus microbiota), and "ex germ free" mice recolonized by normal microbiota.

For this thesis the student will perform gene expression analysis by quantitative real time PCR, bioinformatic analysis of deep RNA seq data, western blot, morphological and morphometrical analysis.

Because the activity is "intense" we prefer to select students with only 2-3 exams left, in order that they can focus on the thesis.

Consider that the lab is in Orbassano, at the San Luigi Hospital, and this requires about 1 hour journey with the bus from the center of Torino.

If interested, please contact us (giovanna.gambarotta@unito.it, giulia.ronchi@unito.it) and we will organize a meeting here.