Postdoctoral Fellow in Cell and Tissue Mechanics: Mechanoregulation of Epithelial Cell Extrusion

Title

Postdoctoral Fellow in Cell and Tissue Mechanics: Mechanoregulation of Epithelial Cell Extrusion

Job start date

Location

Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Kussmaulallee 2, 91054 Erlangen

Payment

TV-L E 13

Working time

Full time – 40.0 hours per week

Contact

• Email:
• Phone:

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow with a strong biological background to join our interdisciplinary team at the interface of cell biology, biophysics, and tissue mechanics.

Project Overview

Epithelial tissues cover most internal and external surfaces of the body and must continuously adapt to environmental challenges while preserving barrier function. A key regulatory mechanism is cell extrusion, a process by which epithelial cells are eliminated from the monolayer, either as apoptotic cells or as living cells during EMT, morphogenesis, or early tumor invasion. Recent work highlights that mechanical forces, cell packing, and tissue stresses are major drivers of extrusion. How cells sense mechanical stress and how force determines cell fate remain largely unknown. This project aims to understand how feedback between mechanics, adhesion, and signaling controls tissue homeostasis. We will particularly focus on the impact of physical cues on caspase activation, the role of neighboring cells, cell‑cell adhesion, and cytoskeleton perturbations during cell extrusion.

Research Objectives

• How mechanical forces influence the fate of extruded cells (live vs apoptotic)
• How epithelial cells sense and respond to mechanical stress
• How extrusion contributes to tissue remodeling, morphogenesis, and tumor progression

Experimental Approach

We use in vitro epithelial models and ex vivo intestinal organoids, combining:

• Cell and molecular biology
• Live‑cell and tissue imaging
• Cytoskeleton and adhesion analysis
• Microfabrication and mechanical perturbations
• Quantitative image analysis

This multidisciplinary project integrates physics‑based approaches with experimental cell biology.

Candidate Profile

• PhD in cell biology, developmental biology, or related fields
• Strong interest in mechanobiology and tissue dynamics
• Experience in cell culture, molecular biology and microscopy
• Motivation to work in a cross‑disciplinary environment

Impact

Understanding how mechanics controls cell extrusion will provide new insight into tissue homeostasis, morphogenesis, and cancer progression, and reveal fundamental principles of collective cell behavior.

Application Process

• Apply online
• Automatic confirmation of receipt sent by e‑mail
• Place of employment reviews applications
• Invitation to first interviewOptional second interview in person at FAU
• Match evaluation
• Employment documents prepared
• Consultation with Staff Council
• Commencement of employment – welcome to FAU

Equal Opportunities

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität promotes equal professional opportunities for women, who are expressly encouraged to apply. Severely disabled persons as defined by the German Severely Disabled Persons Act will be given preferential consideration if they have the same professional qualifications and personal aptitude and if the advertised position is suitable for severely disabled persons. At the applicant’s request, the Equal Opportunities Officer may be included in the job interview without any disadvantage to the applicant. All advertised positions are generally suitable for part‑time work unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

Release date:

Application deadline: