Partnership

The DIGS-BB associated Topical Partner Cluster (TPC) “Cytoskeletal Dynamics Across Scales: From molecular biophysics to organismal development” is a scientific cooperation between DIGS-BB groups and selected groups of the Cytoskeleton Consortium Prague (CCP). This connection enables sharing of methods, techniques, and approaches and facilitates the interdisciplinary and international research environment. The primary goal of the partnership is to create a stimulating environment constituted by the participating research groups and foster collaborations, which prospective PhD students will both contribute to and benefit from.

PhD Student Selection Procedure

PhD students at the CCP are preselected by the group leaders of the participating groups and then undergo a formal selection procedure at a PhD Program of a local university (e.g. Charles University in Prague). The selection procedure is PhD Program specific, typically comprising a presentation of the applicant's previous research and a discussion of the results and the aims of the PhD project. The students perform their research in the respective groups and are graduated by the university.

The admission of above selected PhD candidates into the TPC requires an additional written application to the DIGS-BB office and an interview with the DIGS-BB Admission Committee.

Organization of the TPC

The TPC is formed by at least three independent research groups from CCP working on a topic related to one of the DIGS-BB research fields. Collaboration with DIGS-BB is organized on several levels to mitigate the barriers in sharing knowledge and technology from partner to partner as well as on the whole cooperation level. The cooperation offers platforms for inter-laboratory exchange of skills, training, and samples, and sharing of facilities.

The TPC and DIGS-BB jointly organize regular and topical meetings, workshops, and lectures. To coordinate research progress within the Cytoskeleton Consortium Prague, monthly seminars entitled Cytoskeletal Brew are organized regularly and open to all TPC partners and students, Regular meeting are aimed at a discussion of the current research conducted by the PhD students, postdocs and other lab members from the participating groups.

In addition, annual meetings of the participating groups and selected guests are organized by the TPC and irregular series of distinguished lectures are organized by individual associated members and shared within the cooperation. The TPC offers an increasing number of regular lectures in collaboration with major universities in Prague.