Name and Surname of the Supervisor: Artūras Polita
Institution (Company), Department: VU GMC BChI Ksenobiotikų biochemijos skyrius
Preliminary Topic: The Role of Actin in Compensating Membrane Curvature Stress Induced by Asymmetric Lipid Insertion
Short Description of the Internship Work: Cell membranes are dynamic and mechanically active structures whose shape and integrity are regulated by lipid composition and interactions with the cytoskeleton. One of the key components of this interaction is the actin cortex, a network of actin filaments located beneath the plasma membrane that helps regulate membrane curvature, tension, and cell shape.
Certain membrane-active anticancer compounds, alkylphospholipids, induce membrane remodeling in artificial lipid bilayers, leading to the formation of nanoscale tubules, protrusions, and other highly curved membrane structures. However, such deformations are rarely observed in living cells, suggesting that the actin cytoskeleton may help compensate for drug-induced membrane curvature stress.
The aim of this work is to investigate how the actin network reorganizes in response to membrane-active alkylphospholipids and how the plasma membrane response changes when actin dynamics are pharmacologically inhibited. Live-cell confocal microscopy, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) will be used for these studies.
During the practice, you will learn how to culture and maintain mammalian cells, stain them with fluorescent probes, perform drug-treatment experiments, use confocal and FLIM microscopy, analyze microscopy images, and quantitatively assess changes in the plasma membrane and actin cytoskeleton.
Students interested in live-cell imaging, advanced fluorescence microscopy, and membrane biophysics are encouraged to get in touch.
Qualification Requirements (Degree): BSc
Application Deadline: 2026-10-30