The Tucker lab is looking for a postdoc to work on a project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The post is for two years to study the role of the microbiome in olfaction using mouse models. The selected applicant will join the vibrant and friendly Tucker lab and work as part of a team interacting with the group of Prof Mike Curtis. The postdoc will investigate the interactions between the olfactory system and the microbiome. The Tucker and Curtis labs are part of the internationally acclaimed Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology and Centre for Host-microbiome interactions, both housed within Guy’s Hospital at King’s College London.

 

The Centres have over 100 research staff and students and major funding from the Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biomedical Science Research Council, Wellcome Trust and European Union. Groups occupy newly refurbished laboratories and core facilities on floor 27 and 17 of Guy’s Tower.

The detection of chemical cues from the outside world is fundamental to animal survival. In mammals, sensing of the external chemical environment governs diverse behaviours including selection of food, social interactions, and avoidance of predators. Decoding the complex chemical milieu of odorants in the environment into functionally relevant responses require similarly complex detection systems and, in many animals, this is achieved through two principal chemosensory systems: the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in the nose. These evolutionary conserved olfactory organs contain millions of olfactory sensory neurons and vomeronasal sensory neurons that express arrays of chemosensory receptors each activated by a specific chemical signal. Sensory neurons of the MOE and VNO are the only neurons in mammals that are in direct contact with the external environment, which includes the specialised microbial communities of the nasal tissues. Given this direct contact, these sensory neurones are permanently exposed to oxidative stress, pathogens, or xenobiotics and, consequently, have a limited lifespan, compensated by continuous neurogenesis throughout adulthood. Increasingly, it is appreciated that development and maintenance of host tissues is influenced by the microbial communities that live in and on our skin, gut, mouth, and nose. This can be due to direct contact, as in the gut, or via the production of microbial metabolites that have an indirect influence on development of organs such as the brain. Recent evidence from humans and mouse suggests that the microbiome can also impact smell, and chemosensing. Preliminary data from the lab have shown that germ-free mice have an impaired olfactory function when compared to conventionally reared specific-pathogen free mice, particularly with regard to pheromone sensing, and showed reduced expression of olfactory receptors. 

 

The postdoc will investigate the role of the host and maternal microbiota in the development and maintenance of chemosensing using mouse models in partnership with Oxford University. 

 

The results will highlight the under-explored impact of the microbiome on chemosensation, teasing apart metabolite versus direct effects, and developmental changes versus maintenance. Of particular importance, the findings will open potential avenues to manipulate and rescue chemosensation through control of the microbial environment or provision of metabolites.

 

The postdoc will be responsible for planning experiments in conjunction with Prof Tucker and Prof Curtis, performing experiments, analysing data and mouse colony management. It is expected that the researcher would:

 

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30th September 2027.

 

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.