Student Projects
MSc and BSc Students - Theses and Internships
We welcome interested Master and Bachelor students - primarily from ETH Zurich - and will provide supervision and mentoring during the time in the lab. The available projects fall within all areas of our research. Students are expected to have excellent academic qualifications, good communication skills, strong self-motivation and be interested in experimental and laboratory research. We offer projects either in the area of molecular biology/metabolism/epigenetics (require experience in molecular biology; projects have a duration of 12 weeks or longer) or in the area of human nutrition/micronutrient deficiencies (focusing on iodine, iron and zinc). If you are interested to join, please contact Sara Marchand who coordinates internships and student projects in the lab.
Current projects
Description: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is fragmented DNA that circulates in the bloodstream, originating from various tissues. It has been demonstrated that cfDNA retains cell-type specific epigenetic signatures that can be used to infer its tissue of origin. The analysis of cfDNA has garnered significant interest due to its potential applications in non-invasive diagnostics including cancer detection. However, at the early disease stage, the detection of the low number of pathological cfDNA remains challenging. This project aims to investigate the origins of cfDNA molecules by identifying and analyzing tissue-specific epigenetic markers, with the goal of developing improved tools and biomarkers for early-stage disease diagnosis.
- Advisor: Siyuan Luo
- Examiner: Prof. Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn
Prerequisites: We are looking for students who have experience with Unix systems, proficiency in data analysis utilizing R or Python, and some understanding of next-generation sequencing (or a keen interest in learning about it). Other advantageous skills include expertise in machine learning and statistics.
Application: Please apply by sending i) a CV, ii) a short description of your motivation to join our lab, and iii) your desired starting time to Siyuan Luo () and cc our teaching address ().
References:
- Gai, W., and K. Sun. “Epigenetic Biomarkers in Cell-Free DNA and Applications in Liquid Biopsy. Genes (Basel). 2019; 10 (1).”
- Snyder, Matthew W., et al. “Cell-free DNA comprises an in vivo nucleosome footprint that informs its tissues-of-origin.” Cell 164.1 (2016): 57-68.
- Sadeh, Ronen, et al. “ChIP-seq of plasma cell-free nucleosomes identifies gene expression programs of the cells of origin.” Nature biotechnology 39.5 (2021): 586-598.
Bachelor/Master Thesis Project Opportunity
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency globally. The main population affected are children and women of reproductive age, but it is present in the rest of the population as well. Microalgae represent a novel source with high nutritional values, including proteins, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. Microalgae are particularly rich in micronutrients, including iron, with the potential to help in the reduction and mitigation of iron deficiency worldwide as a more sustainable and valuable food source.
Stable iron isotopes can be used in nutrition studies to provide a robust understanding of iron absorption and metabolism. This bachelor/master thesis project will focus on developing the protocol for the labelling of microalgae with stable isotopes to support future in vivo trials. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Sustainable Food Processing Laboratory and the Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics.
- Direct Supervisor: Agon Besimi
- Co-Supervisor and co-examiner: Dr. Dr. Fengzheng Gao
- Examiner: Prof. Dr. Alexander Mathys or Prof. Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn
How to apply
The project is available from now on. Please send your CV and motivation letter to Agon Besimi () and cc Dr. Fengzheng Gao () and our teaching address ().
Microalgae are sustainable novel foods with high nutritional values. Dr. Fengzheng Gao has several projects available for interested students:
- Project 1: Microalgae production for different nutritional profiles
- Project 2: Nutritional composition characterization of available microalgal biomass
- Project 3: Biomass processing with different techniques for higher bioaccessibilities
- Project 4: Bioaccessibility assessment using in vitro method
- Project 5: Bioavailability assessment using ex vivo models of human cells
If you are a motivated candidate with related background, please send your CV and motivation letter to Dr. Fengzheng Gao () and cc our teaching address ().
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