Project 1

New reporters for the study of zebrafish embryo development and immune response

Supervisor: Dr. Georges Lutfalla, co-supervisors: local: Dr Mai Nguyen Chi, external: Prof. Dr. Annemarie Meijer (P2)

Objectives: Implement new markers, tracers and biosensors in transgenic strategies to study host pathogen interaction in the zebrafish embryo & larvae (WP1, collab P2,3,7): Ca2+, voltage & force sensors, nucleus behaviour; super-resolution microscopy with adaptive optics (WP2, collab. P1,3,6&7); adapted image analysis and modelling tools (WP3&4, collaboration P5&8).

Expected Results:

  • Identify one Ca2+ sensor, one voltage sensor, one mechanical force sensor and one nuclear label for the study of macrophage and neutrophil activation (NETs release) in the infected zebrafish embryo and larvae.
  • Use these labels for in vivo movies and models of macrophages’ and neutrophils’ activation with a real-time display of leukocytes’ activation parameters using SPIM and super-resolution fluorescent microscopy.

Secondments:

  • Academic: P6 ICFO, P. Loza, adaptive optics & super-resolution; P7 IP JP Levraud Sensors and Imaging
  • Industrial: P12, Zeiss, F Schmidt, SPIM and industrial awareness

Links to other projects: Close collaboration with ESR2 (host pathogen interactions), 4 (sensors), 10 (multicolour imaging), 9 (incubation chambers and microscope setups) and 11 (Modelling).