项目介绍

2026年10月1日

In Huntington’s Disease (HD), expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin (HTT) gene leads to a toxic gain-of-function that ultimately results in fatal neurodegeneration. HD research has long focused on the toxic effects of the HTT-encoded polyglutamine protein that aggregates in neurons. However, recent discoveries reveal that the HTT mRNA itself forms condensates and aggregates, contributing to neuronal toxicity. In this project, your work will help define the origins of RNA toxicity in HD – a critical step toward developing therapies.

Your job
As a PhD candidate in this project, you will design, execute, and analyze single-molecule experiments using optical tweezers and confocal fluorescence imaging, building on previous work (O’Brien et al., Nat Comm 2024). Together with our collaborators, you will produce materials for these experiments and develop novel approaches for protein and RNA labeling. Working at the interface of biophysics and biochemistry, you will establish new paradigms that explain why some repeat RNAs are toxic while others are not.

Your responsibilities include:

• Independently conducting experimental work and performing data analysis;
• Presenting your progress in regular team meetings;
• Publishing your findings in peer-reviewed journals;
• Participating in scientific conferences;
• Supporting teaching and mentoring undergraduate and master’s students.

Under the mentorship of Prof. Christian Kaiser, you will have the freedom to explore your own ideas within the project goals. You will work closely with junior investigators in the group as well as with our local and international collaborators, and engage with the broader research community at the Bijvoet Centre and the Faculty of Science. Visit the Kaiser Lab and the Bijvoet Centre websites for more information.