Postdoc Pigino Group

**APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: June 11th, 2025**

**Human Technopole (HT)**is an interdisciplinary life science research institute, created and supported by the Italian Government, with the aim of understanding molecular processes that are fundamental in human health and defective in disease, to foster the development of innovative strategies to improve human health. HT is composed of five Centers: Neurogenomics, Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Genomics, and Health Data Science. The Centers work together to enable interdisciplinary research and to create an open, collaborative environment that will help promote life science research both nationally and internationally.

**About the lab**

The Pigino Lab works right at the interface between structural and molecular cell biology, combining the latest methodologies from the respective fields, with a strong emphasis on cryo-electron tomography, cryo-FIB SEM, (cryo-)correlative light and electron tomography (cryo-CLEM), structural proteomics, fluorescence microscopy and 3D image processing. We study the structure and the function of cilia, ubiquitous eukaryotic organelles with fundamental motility, signaling and sensing functions. We study motile and primary cilia from unicellular model organisms such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, mammalian cell lines, organoids and tissues from mice and human pancreas, brain and kidney. The Pigino Lab has made significant contributions to our current mechanistic understanding of i) the intraflagellar transport (IFT), the bidirectional transport machinery required for the assembly of all types of cilia, ii) the process of assembly of motile cilia axonemes, iii) the functional role of the tubulin code (tubulin posttranslational modification in motile cilia, and iv) has generated pioneering insights into the molecular organization of mammalian primary cilia.

We are now looking for **Postdocs** interested in joining the Lab.

**See previous work on the research topics of this call**

Cilia structural and functional integrity is sustained by intraflagellar transport (IFT), a bidirectional trafficking system that delivers proteins essential for ciliary maintenance and assembly. However, the molecular mechanisms governing the targeted delivery of ciliary membrane proteins from the Golgi apparatus to the cilium during ciliogenesis remain poorly understood. Despite their importance, the molecular and structural mechanisms guiding this targeted trafficking remain unclear.

This project uses Chlamydomonas reinhardtii—a powerful model for ciliary biology—to dissect how ciliary membrane proteins are transported during ciliogenesis. Focusing on FMG1, a prominent ciliary glycoprotein, the project combines live-cell imaging, proteomics, and cryo-electron tomography to (1) map vesicle trafficking dynamics, (2) identify key protein interactors and co-cargoes, and (3) resolve the structure of transport vesicles.

**Related publications from the lab**

Lacey S.E., Graziadei A., Pigino G. Extensive structural rearrangement of intraflagellar transport trains underpins bidirectional cargo transport. 2024, Cell 187, 4621-4636 doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.06.041

Nievergelt AP, Diener DR, Bogdanova A, Brown T, Pigino G. Efficient precision editing of endogenous Chlamydomonas reinhardtii genes with CRISPR-Cas. Cell Rep Methods. 2023 Aug 22;3(8):100562. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100562. PMID: 37671018; PMCID: PMC10475843.

Hoepfner LM, Nievergelt AP, Martino F, Scholz M, Foster HE, Rodenfels J, von Appen A, Hippler M, Pigino G. Unwrapping the Ciliary Coat: High-Resolution Structure and Function of the Ciliary Glycocalyx. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Apr;12(16):e2413355. doi: 10.1002/advs.202413355. Epub 2025 Mar 5. PMID: 40041987; PMCID: PMC12021028.

**Key tasks and responsibilities**
- Investigate the molecular mechanisms of the trafficking of ciliary membrane proteins to the cilium from the Golgi.
- Establish or develop methods to achieve the research goals.
- Present the results of related scientific work in lab meetings and seminars within the Human Technopole and at international meetings.
- Generate reliable data for publication and record experimental information, data and results in specified forms (electronic notebook provided by HT).
- Contribute to the writing of manuscripts and to the preparation of related material for presentations and paper publications.
- Assist in the training of Master students and PhD students and contribute to the smooth running of the lab activities.

**Essential requirements**
- PhD (or submitted PhD thesis) in Biology, Molecular Cell Biology, Structural Biology, or Physical Biology.
- Experience with ciliated/flagellated eukaryotic cells.
- Experience in imaging in fluorescence microscopy (TIRF microscopy, confocal microscopy, single molecule), protein purification, image analysis (Fiji).
- Proficiency in English.

**Preferred requirements**
- Experience with sample preparation and image acquisition in (cryo-)el