Project Overview
Are you passionate about cancer biology and eager to make a difference in the fight against drug resistance? This Master’s project provides an opportunity to join a dynamic research team at the forefront of cancer research, exploring how gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) develop resistance to targeted therapies.
GISTs are mainly driven by mutations in the KIT or PDGFRA genes, which activate cancerous cell growth and cell-survival signalling. Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor effective against these mutated cells, has transformed the treatment of GIST patients and established a new standard for precision medicine. However, despite impressive initial results, many patients ultimately experience tumour relapse due to drug resistance. This project aims to investigate how GIST cells adapt and survive, even in the presence of imatinib.
What Will You Do?
As a Master’s student on this project, you will use a patient-derived cancer model that closely mimics the diversity and drug resistance patterns seen in real GIST patients. You will culture these GIST-T1 cells under different imatinib concentrations, study how the cells adapt to treatment and what happens when the drug is withdrawn. Under supervision by experienced researchers, you will:
Monitor Cell Growth and Survival:
- Use the IncuCyte live-cell imaging microscopy to track cell growth in real-time.
- Analyse the cell cycle state by staining DNA and use flow cytometry.
- Assess apoptosis (programmed cell death) with the Caspase 3/7 assay.
Investigate Molecular Changes:
- Perform Western blotting to study the activation status of KIT receptor and key downstream signalling proteins like AKT and ERK.
- Apply single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal how gene expression changes at both the single-cell and population levels.
Analyse and Interpret Data:
- Use bioinformatics tools to perform gene expression, pathway enrichment and gene ontology analyses, and identify the key biological processes involved in drug resistance.
What Skills Will You Gain?
Hands-on Laboratory Techniques:
Cell culture, live-cell imaging, flow cytometry, apoptosis assays, Western blotting, and single-cell genomics.
Bioinformatics and Data Analysis:
Learn to process and interpret complex biological data, a vital skill for modern biologists.
Critical Soft Skills:
Enhance your abilities in data collection, scientific presentation, and teamwork within a diverse, interdisciplinary research group.
Your Future in Cancer Research
This project will give you a solid foundation in experimental and computational biology, and insight into clinical challenges, preparing you for a successful career in cancer research or related fields. You’ll deepen your understanding of how cancer cells adapt to treatment and how we can treat this with new therapeutic strategies.
Environment
Our research group is part of the Department of Tumor Biology at the Institute for Cancer Research at Radium Hospital, containing over 40 researchers, including master's and PhD students, postdocs, and researchers, making this a friendly, social, and exciting environment to be part of.