{"id":15888,"date":"2026-11-03T10:17:42","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T09:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/?p=15888"},"modified":"2026-11-03T10:17:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T09:17:43","slug":"masters-thesis-in-computational-biology-bioinformatics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/?p=15888","title":{"rendered":"Master\u2019s thesis in computational biology \/ bioinformatics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Comparing neuronal cell types in the developing brains of <em>Drosophila<\/em> and <em>Tribolium<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you interested in single-cell transcriptomics, brain development, and comparative neurobiology? We are looking for a motivated master\u2019s student in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related discipline to investigate neuronal diversity in two insect species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Application deadline<\/em>: <strong>30 November 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do differences in gene expression relate to differences in brain development and function? In this project, you will analyse single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data from Rx-labelled neurons in the larval brains of the fruit fly, <em>Drosophila melanogaster<\/em>, and the red flour beetle, <em>Tribolium castaneum<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project combines transcriptomic analysis with imaging-based characterisation of neuronal populations. You will investigate whether molecularly defined cell clusters correspond to the neuronal groups identified by their morphology. Through a cross-species comparison, you will also identify gene-expression differences that could contribute to differences in the functional activation of the central complex, a brain region involved in spatial orientation and the control of movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your tasks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Analyse and cluster snRNA-seq data from Rx-labelled neurons in both species.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify highly expressed genes and differentially expressed marker genes that characterise individual clusters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compare molecularly defined clusters with neuronal groups identified through imaging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify corresponding neuronal populations across <em>Drosophila<\/em> and <em>Tribolium<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Investigate gene-expression differences between corresponding populations to identify candidate genes and pathways potentially associated with differences in central complex activation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You are enrolled in a master\u2019s programme in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You are interested in neuroscience, developmental biology, or cross-species comparisons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experience with single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-seq analysis is welcome but not essential.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What we offer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A computational thesis project connecting transcriptomics, neuronal morphology, and comparative developmental neurobiology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Access to snRNA-seq datasets and complementary imaging data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supervision in an interdisciplinary research environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The opportunity to develop skills in cell-type identification and comparative transcriptomics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Location:<\/em> Department of Developmental Genetics, AG Bucher, University of G\u00f6ttingen<br><em>Preferred start date:<\/em> January 2027; a later start may be possible by agreement.<br><em>Contact:<\/em> Dr. Christine Mau, <a href=\"mailto:christine.mau@uni-goettingen.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">christine.mau@uni-goettingen.de<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To apply, please send a brief statement of interest, your CV, and a short description of your programming and data-analysis experience to <a href=\"mailto:christine.mau@uni-goettingen.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">christine.mau@uni-goettingen.de<\/a> by <strong>30 November 2026<\/strong>. Please also indicate your earliest possible starting date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comparing neuronal cell types in the developing brains of Drosophila and Tribolium Are you interested in single-cell transcriptomics, brain development, and comparative neurobiology? We are looking for a motivated master\u2019s student in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related discipline to investigate neuronal diversity in two insect species. Application deadline: 30 November 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abschlussarbeiten"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15888"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15890,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15888\/revisions\/15890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bioblog.uni-goettingen.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}