PhD candidate (f/m/d) (65 %) for a duration of 36 months

‘Forschungsgesellschaft für Arbeitsphysiologie und Arbeitsschutz e.V. Dortmund’ (legal entity name) is a research institution institutionally funded by the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the sponsor of ’Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors in Dortmund’ (IfADo). IfADo explores the risks and potentials of modern work in interdisciplinary approaches. We combine the disciplines of Ergonomics, Immunology, Toxicology, Psychology and Neurosciences. The Department of Toxicology offers a Position as **PhD candidate (f/m/d) (65 %) for a duration of 36 months** **Project description:** ------------------------ Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is characterized by the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver and represents a major cause of chronic liver disease in Western countries. MASLD can progress to steatohepatitis and, ultimately, to life-threatening end-stage diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A critical step in the progression from “benign” steatosis to steatohepatitis is bile macropinocytosis. This process leads to the vesicular regurgitation of concentrated bile from the bile canaliculi into hepatocytes, thereby promoting inflammation, cell death, and fibrosis. The aim of this project is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the induction of bile macropinocytosis, determine its contribution to disease progression, and develop therapeutic strategies to inhibit bile macropinocytosis and ameliorate steatohepatitis. The project is part of a research program recently funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). It involves in vivo experiments using mouse models of MASLD progression and the application of state-of-the-art techniques, including functional intravital imaging, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and gene and protein expression analyses using real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. **Your Qualifications:** ------------------------ * Master's degree or diploma/state examination in biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy, toxicology, medicine, or a related field with an excellent final grade * Willingness to perform animal experiments and to learn microintervention techniques, including different routes of drug administration, microsurgery, and biological sample collection * Basic knowledge of molecular biology techniques * Ability to work independently and responsibly, but also as part of a team. * Interest in learning and establishing new techniques/technologies and presenting data at international conferences * Proficiency in spoken and written English * Aspiration to a research/academic career **Your tasks:** --------------- * Preparation and characterization of mouse models to investigate MASLD progression, including therapeutic intervention experiments * Tissue and blood sample collection and processing * Histopathological and immunohistochemi