Pursuant to § 7 sections 1 and 3 of Resolution No. 91/IX/2021 of the Senate of the Jagiellonian University of 29 September 2021 on the rules of recruitment for the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences at the Jagiellonian University in the academic year 2022/2023, the Director of the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences announces a competition for 1 doctoral student with a scholarship financed from the research project funds as part of the 4-year PhD programme in Biology.

Within the NCN-funded Opus20 project entitled: "Molecular mechanisms of the protective effect of swimming training on skeletal muscle atrophy and the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)", a commission set up at the School will conduct recruitment for the 4-year PhD study programme PhD programme in Biology.
The project manager Prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Pyza offers an opportunity to complete the doctorate in the following area: "Molecular mechanisms of the protective effect of swimming training on skeletal muscle atrophy and the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)".
After the interviews and the evaluation of the candidates, the Chairman of the committee presents a report to the Director containing a list of candidates recommended for admission to the school as part of the research project.

Schedule of the competition:

• Opening of the competition: 25 July – 25 August 2022 r.
• Entrance exams: 1-2 września 2022 r.
• Announcement of results: 6 September 2022 r.
• Enrolment: 08-13 September 2022 r.

Project description:

In the neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscles degenerate and this muscle atrophy leads finally to the death of patients. Molecular processes leading to the atrophy of muscles are still unknown, however, there are published reports that swimming training may have positive effects and delay symptoms of ALS.

The aim of the project is to examine, at the level of confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, changes of selected protein levels and ultrastructural changes in neurons of somatosensory cortex of the brain and in skeletal muscles obtained from transgenic mice, models of ALS, before and after the swimming training.

Candidate profile:

• MSc in life science (biology, medicine, agricultural or related)
• knowledge of cell biology

An additional advantage will be:

• knowledge of immunohistochemical techniques
• experience in preparing preparations for transmission electron microscopy
• imaging in confocal and transmission electron microscopes