Contract Period : 12 months
Expected date of employment : 1 May 2024
Apply before March 19th 2024 on https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7592-ISHRAO-003/Default.aspx
Missions
All animals have an extracellular matrix (ECM), a 3D biomechanical scaffold that defines the form and function of multicellular tissues. Its most abundant components are collagens, which alone account for 17% of our dry body weight. To ensure correct assembly of the ECM, cells must secrete folded collagens and degrade excess or misfolded collagens. When either secretion or degradation goes wrong, the resulting ECM is poorly assembled, leading to fatal problems in tissue construction, forming aberrant structures such as tumours or fibrotic scars. The project aims to discover the molecular complexes involved in collagen export from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus and their dysfunction during fibrosis. The project is in line with the research team’s interest in the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the intracellular sorting of collagens with a view to their secretion or degradation. To study these mechanisms, the team is using and developing genetically modified tools, quantitative fluorescence microscopy approaches and biochemical reconstitution to quantitatively monitor molecular functions.
Activities
- participate in project design,
- use and develop new methodologies,
- carry out experiments,
- analysing and communicating results,
- writing research reports and articles.
The candidate will use a wide range of approaches at the interface between cell biology and physiology, in particular advanced microscopy on living cells, cell biology (mammalian cell culture, transfection, etc.) and DNA biology (mammalian cells, transfection, molecular biology, etc.) and the measurement of the dynamic properties of fibrotic cell.
Skills
The candidate must hold a PhD (or have obtained one before the start of the contract) in biology. The candidate must be able to work both independently and as part of a team, in collaborative projects with teams outside the institute, and have the ability to lead a project. All research activities will be conducted in English, so the candidate must be fluent in both spoken and written English (level B2).
Work context
Dr Ishier Raote has recently started his team with extensive international collaborations covering a wide range of disciplines, including cell biology, biophysics, medical applications and advanced microscopy. The Institut Jacques Monod, with its multidisciplinary environment, is one of the leading centres for fundamental biology research in France. It offers cutting-edge instrumentation and expertise in the fields of flow cytometry, electron and optical microscopy, and proteomics.
Constraints and risks
The risks are very low – it will be necessary to work with chemical solutions and mammalian cell lines, but appropriate training will be provided.
