Description and lab research areas:

Our lab studies the health impacts of air pollution, the number one environmental cause of the global burden of disease. This multidisciplinary project involves studying cytotoxicity imposed by exposure to particulate matter. The project will use cultured cells and mouse models, together with big data analysis such as RNA sequencing and metabolomics analyses. Recent laboratory experience and basic molecular biology and biochemistry skills are an advantage. We take part in the International Helmholtz lab (http://www.aerohealth.eu/en/index.html) that offers a dynamic and international collaboration between the Weizmann Institute of Science, Helmholtz centers in Julich and Munich and the University of Rostock. The work involves active collaborations between the participating groups and taking active roles in joint experimental campaigns, data analyses, paper writing, and weekly joint seminars, among other activities.

The target of this Post Doc research focuses on the investigation of the mechanisms (biological and toxicological effects) induced by different types of aerosols (secondary organic aerosols (SOA), biomass burning, and dust) with advanced exposure models. In vitro exposure will focus on optimizing exposure of human epithelial lung cell and other tissue (liver, fat) cultures and the development of differentiated 3D cell cultures and disease-oriented tissue models. In addition individual in vivo exposure models will be used in order to validate the cell line/tissue model results and for investigating systemic effects of exposure.

Examples for task that can be completed during this thesis:

• Establishing a 3D cell culture representing the lung for exposure in the air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure system.
• Hands-on molecular biology methods, bioinformatics, and deep sequencing analysis (microarray, proteomics etc.)
• Correlation of toxicological responses with various components of particulate matter.

Some relevant papers:

1. Offer et. al., Differential toxicological impact of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol compounds condenses on soot particles in lung cell models at the air-liquid interface, Environmental Health Perspectives, 130:2 CID: 027003, (2022).
2. Pardo, C. Li, Z. Fang, S. Levin-Zaidman, N. Dezorella, H. Czech, P. Martens, U. Käfer, T. Gröger, C. P. Rüger, L. Friederici, R. Zimmermann, and Y. Rudich, Toxicity of water- and organic-soluble wood tar fractions from biomass burning in lung epithelial cells, Chemical Research in Toxicology, 34, 1588–1603 (2021).
3. Pardo, X. Qiu, R. Zimmermann, and Y. Rudich, Particulate Matter Toxicity is Nrf2 and Mitochondria Dependent: the Roles of Metals and PAHs, Chemical Research in Toxicology, 33, 1110−1120 (2020).

Required elements for research-based postdoc applications

Recent laboratory experience and basic molecular biology and biochemistry skills are an advantage. PhD in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Atmospheric sciences or related fields.

Contact information: Prof. Yinon Rudich
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel
e-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 972 8 934 4237