Cellular and Molecular Biology

Brief description
The project relies on the new hypothesis that Panreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) initiation and progression are due to the close interplay between tumor driver mutations and pancreatic acid-base dynamics that impact on pH-dependent Ca2+ channel network and FGFR axis in cancer cells and cancer stem cells.
Based on the literature and our previous data, we hypothesize that the cross talk between acidic microenvironment and cancer cells modulate in turn the PDAC vasculature.
The main objective of the project is to decipher the crosstalk between TME acidosis and Ca2+ channel/FGFR2 axis network in order to (i) advance in the knowledge of stroma/tumor signaling mechanisms underlying PDAC progression and (ii) design more effective combination therapies overcoming chemoresistance.

Knowledge, skills and competences to be acquired by the end of the traineeship (expected Learning Outcomes):
The student is expected to acquire advanced competences in live-cell imaging and ion imaging by means of fluorescence microscopy. In particular the candidate will perfom Ca2+ imaging experiments measuring either cytosolic and intraorganellar (ER or mitochondria) Ca2+ together with
The student will also acquire competences in image analyses and quantitative data analyses of the acquired data.
Moreover, the student will also acquire basic cell biology procedures (cell culture maintenance, cell transfection).