The Francis Crick Institute
1 week ago
PhD in Mechanics and Growth Control of Human Post-Gastrulation Amnioids The Francis Crick Institute in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Cell Biology
Funding
Funded PhD project with a non-taxable annual stipend of £27,715 plus payment of university tuition fees. Students of all nationalities are eligible to apply, but candidates must be eligible for home tuition fee status.
Deadline
Nov 2, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
University
The Francis Crick Institute
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About this position
PhD opportunity at The Francis Crick Institute and University College London in a 2027 joint PhD project supervised by Dr Silvia Santos and Dr Guillaume Charras.
This funded PhD focuses on human amnioids and the mechanics and growth control of the human amniotic sac. The project investigates how form, force, fluid transport, cytoskeletal dynamics, extracellular matrix deposition, and epithelial barrier function interact to regulate tissue size and morphogenesis.
Research themes include biomedical engineering, biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, and quantitative tissue mechanics. The work will use 3D lightsheet imaging, morphometric analysis, mechanical measurements, pharmacological and genetic perturbations, and multi-omics approaches to study how post-gastrulation amnioids grow and reach a reproducible size plateau.
The project is especially relevant to students interested in human extra-embryonic development, tissue growth regulation, matrix dynamics, and disorders such as preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).
Funding includes a non-taxable annual stipend of £27,715 plus university tuition fees. Students of all nationalities may apply, but applicants must be eligible for home tuition fee status.
Ideal applicants will have training in physics, engineering, quantitative cell/developmental biology, or biomedical engineering, and may have experience with cell culture, advanced fluorescence microscopy, image analysis, programming, CRISPR-based perturbations, or transcriptomic/proteomic profiling.
The application deadline shown on the page is 2026-11-02.
Funding details
Funded PhD project with a non-taxable annual stipend of £27,715 plus payment of university tuition fees. Students of all nationalities are eligible to apply, but candidates must be eligible for home tuition fee status.
What's required
Candidates should have training in physics, engineering, quantitative cell and developmental biology, or biomedical engineering, with strong quantitative skills and careful experimental design. Desirable experience includes cell culture and differentiation, advanced fluorescence microscopy (lightsheet or confocal), image analysis and morphometrics, mechanical measurements on cells/tissues, programming, CRISPR-based genetic perturbations, and transcriptomic or proteomic profiling. The project is suitable for applicants interested in interdisciplinary work on forces, growth, and matrix dynamics in tissues. Applicants must be eligible for home tuition fee status.
How to apply
Apply through the FindAPhD project page and answer the lab-specific question about how your studies and research experience prepared you for interdisciplinary projects. Ensure you meet the home tuition fee status requirement before applying.
More information can be found here
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