Technician position open, Chicago area

[Greg Beitel]

Research Technologist Position Available:
Drosophila Tracheal Development at Northwestern university

Lab:      Dr. Greg Beitel, BMBCB Hogan Hall Rm. 2-100, Northwestern 
University, Evanston  IL 60208-3500; (847) 467-7776, 
beitel at northwestern.edu

Research area

	Our laboratory's long term goal is to understand how 
individual cells control their shapes and coordinate with other cells 
to create the complex organs found in multicellular organisms.  To 
this end, we are using genetic, molecular and cell biological 
approaches to identify and study genes required for the morphogenesis 
of the Drosophila tracheal system.  The Drosophila tracheal system is 
a ramifying network of epithelial tubes that serves as a combined 
airway and vascular system for delivering oxygen to tissues in the 
fly.  At the molecular level, Drosophila tracheal development has 
striking similarities to both vertebrate lung and vascular 
development.  These similarities, coupled with the simplicity of the 
tracheal system and the power of Drosophila genetics, makes the 
tracheal system an outstanding model system for understanding the 
morphogenesis of the tubular epithelia that are central to such 
vertebrate organs as the vascular system, lung and kidney.
	We have shown that size of the Drosophila tracheal tubes is 
controlled by a genetic program and identified mutations in eight 
genes that cause the tracheal tubes to have abnormal lengths or 
diameters (Beitel and Krasnow, Development 2000, 127 p.3271-3282: 
http://usa.biologists.com/Development/127/15/dev7811.html).  We have 
also identified mutations that affect cell-cell adhesion and the 
apical/basal organization of tracheal cells.  We are currently 
cloning and characterizing several of these genes, and will pursue 
the vertebrate homologues of these genes to understand the general 
roles of these genes in the morphogenesis of tubular epithelial 
organs.

Job description

	Responsibilities of this position include:  Performing 
molecular biology experiments (cloning, PCR, Southern blotting using 
radionucleotides) as outlined by the PI; performing Drosophila 
genetic experiments (crosses, phenotypic analysis) as outlined by the 
PI (previous experience with Drosophila or other genetic organism 
preferred but not essential); maintaining lab Drosophila stocks; 
keeping detailed and accurate records of procedures and data; 
presenting experimental results at lab meetings; maintaining general 
laboratory records, inventories, ordering and tracking grant 
expenditures; assisting in supervising and training undergraduates. 
Position requires a Bachelors degree in Biology or related field. 
The research objective is to understand how epithelial cells control 
their shapes to create and regulate the size of tubes in organs such 
as the circulatory system, lung and kidney.


Dr. Greg Beitel, Assistant Professor
Dept. of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology (BMBCB)
Hogan Hall, Rm. 2-100
2153 North Campus Dr.
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208-3500
U.S.A.
Phone: (847) 467-7776
FAX: (847) 467-1380


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