RNA splicing as regulator of immune activation

This project will explore how splicing can regulate immune activation. In pilot experiments, using 3rd generation RNA-sequencing (nanopore), we observed that activation of T cells and monocytes induces many changes in the spliceosome. With this project we aim to understand the consequences of these changes for the phenotype of these cells, and study the mechanisms that induce these changes. Within this project the candidate will utilize various state-of-the-art techniques to obtain a detailed understanding of alternative splicing on a global and transcript-specific level. A better understanding of these molecular processes that control immune activation can subsequently be translated and validated in a clinically relevant setting. This multidisciplinary project requires a strong collaboration with biologists, bioinfomaticians and clinicians. More specifically, the PhD student will utilize various techniques including: nanopore RNA-seq, cloning, CRISPR/Cas9, cell culture, flow cytometry, Western blot, Q-PCR, immune assays, and computational analyses.

Contact 
Maurice van Haaren