Position: Research Associate-I
PI: Surajit Ghosh
Department: Bioscience and Bioengineering
Advertisement No.: IITJ/RD/R/S/DBT/SUG/20250032/2026/101
Adv Date: 15-01-2026
Project Title: Apta-Sensor Based Microchannel Device for Early Detection of SREBP2/APOε4 Expression in High Risk Alzheimer's Disease Condition with Type2 Diabetes Mellitus
Sponsor: DBT
Consolidated Compensation: Rs.58000 (Upto)
Essential Qualifications/Experiance: The applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree in Science, Engineering with research interests in Biotechnology, Life Sciences, fabrication of microfluidics technology based device, and a good academic record.
Desirable Qualifications/Experiance:
a) Candidates must have hands-on experience in microfluidics technology based device fabrication and cell culture,
b) Experience in working in chemical neuroscience and related translational research,
c) Experience in animal cell culture/ primary cell culture,
d) Experience in animal handling and working with animal models, e) Must have experience in molecular biology techniques like western blotting & RT-PCR,
f) Candidate must have publication in reputed international journal and sound scientific communication, g) Candidate must have the capability to work independently and have the ability to work in diverse interdisciplinary environments, and provide guidance to other researchers.
Age Limit: Upper limit of 40 years for male candidates and 45 years for female candidates (Age relaxations as per DBT norm) or set the age relaxations as per the central govt. norms.
Tenure (in months): 5.5
Project Info: APOE4 is the predominant apolipoprotein allele present in late onset of Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) patients. In hippocampus, APOE acts as main lipid transporter to neuron. But allele APOE4 disrupts lipid transport by reducing the binding ability of apolipoprotein with its receptor. Thus, some alternate path of lipid transport must be there substituting APOE4 to delay the disease to a "late onset" stage. Turns out Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2) acts as the substitute by increasing the transcription of lipid transporter proteins. Problem arises with patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as SREBP2 expressions gets diminished. This exposes APOE4 dominant T2DM patients to higher risk of AD. Although many literatures have reported subtle links between T2DM and AD, but mostly associated insulin resistance with cognitive decline. Unclear mechanistic insights for aforementioned hypothesis have kept a knowledge gap for developing an early diagnostic kit. This work proposes to develop novel Apta-Sensor Based Microchannel Device that will detect the balance of SREBP2/APOE4 Expression and will help in rescuing the defective lipid transport of AD patients with T2DM.
Job Info: The candidate will have to work in the lab towards the fulfilment of the following project objectives:
1. To design & develop aptamers for SREBP2 & APOE4 and attaching them with QDs of different excitation.
2. To fabricate the microfluidic channel and standardize the pH and other factors effecting the fluorescence of QDs.
3. To assess the Apta-Sensor Based Microchannel against fluids with Alzheimer?s in vitro primary Astrocyte-neuron coculture system from APOE4+ diabetic mice.
4. To develop an APOE4+ diabetic animal by knocking down SREBf2 to check if we can proceed to use blood and CSF for the detection. Apart from the proposed objectives, the candidate is expected to work on the maintenance of the laboratory to ensure the smooth running of laboratory.
30-01-2026 at 11:55 PM
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