Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying SARNP induced hearing loss

Hearing is profoundly important and its loss can have a dramatic impact on our daily lives. It is particularly common with ageing though surprisingly the genetic reasons behind hearing loss are only just being uncovered. We have very recently identified a completely new gene required to maintain normal hearing and have found that loss of just one copy of this gene is sufficient to cause deafness. Surprisingly this gene plays a role in the transport of mRNA within the cell from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, a process used by all eukaryotic cells, not just those associated with hearing and so why loss of this gene specifically causes deafness is an enigma. In this project you will make use of a transgenic mouse which lacks one copy of this gene to establish the molecular basis for the hearing loss.

The project involves a collaboration between the laboratories of Prof Walter Marcotti, an expert in hearing and Prof. Stuart Wilson an expert in mRNA transport. You will be trained in a wide range of in vivo techniques such as patch clamping and confocal microscopy together with the latest techniques in gene expression analysis using next generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to explore what has gone wrong in the transgenic deaf mice. You will complete your PhD with a wide range of highly desirable skills which would provide a firm foundation for a career in academia or industry.