Scientific objectives

We plan to study the developmental role of miRNA function in a broad range of organisms, which includes the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the insects Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera), the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis (Amphipoda) and plants. These choices reflect the primary research topics and the expertise of the participating partners. The strategies for analysis of miRNA function are similar regardless of the organism selected, but the study of a large number of different organisms allows us to look for similarities and disparities among different species. Specific research objectives and milestones will depend on the progress achieved by the host lab and need to be discussed directly with the teams who offer training. The training project will however fall in these major categories.
    *Experimental identification and validation of target genes that are under miRNA regulation
    *Analysis of miRNAs that are likely to control the Notch signalling pathway in Drosophila melanogaster
    *Comparison of miRNA expression patterns and functions among diverse species
    *The role of miRNAs in neuronal processes in Caenorhabditis elegans

    The duration of the fellowship is not strictly fixed. The Commission requests a minimum training period of three months and the maximum is 36 months. Unless there is a special need we intend to provide two major types of fellowships:
  -  Short term fellowships:   They will typically last 3-6 months and should fulfil a specific need of the trainee. A typical case would be that the researcher needs training in some special methodology, which s/he cannot find at the home institution.
  -  Long-term fellowships:   They will cover a major part of the experimental phase of a PhD thesis.

      Training activities
All four team leaders participating in this programme are experienced in training graduate students. The EST fellows will therefore be trained in a comparable way as we practice with our own local students. The fellows can participate in selected lectures of the Joint Graduate Program in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine that the IMBB runs in cooperation with the Departments of Biology and Medicine of the University of Crete, which is located on the same campus. The actual practical training will proceed directly in the laboratory.