Postdoctoral Researcher (M/F) in Biophysics of Bacterial Infection

Missions

The selected candidate will investigate the role of mechanical forces in the process of bacterial infection, aiming to understand how pathogenic bacteria sense and respond to these forces, as well as how their interactions with host cells and tissues influence the mechanics and physiology of barrier tissues.

To carry out this project, the candidate will perform live-cell imaging experiments using a spinning disk confocal microscope available in the team, combined with image analysis using Fiji, Matlab, and Python. These approaches will be complemented by classical tools from microbiology (generation of fluorescent strains and mutants of Neisseria meningitidis), cell biology (human cell lines, chemical and genetic perturbations of proteins of interest), and microfabrication (photolithography, modification of adhesion substrates, microfluidics).

Collaborations within the institute will be established to integrate these approaches with direct measurements of mechanical forces at different scales.

Activities

• Live-cell imaging using a spinning disk confocal fluorescence microscope
• Image analysis using Fiji, Python, and Matlab
• Cell culture of established lines and primary cells; standard cell biology techniques: immunofluorescence, transfection, siRNA, Western blot
• Bacterial culture, molecular biology, and genetic approaches for generating strains of interest
• Biophysical approaches to modulate the chemical and mechanical environment of infected cells: 1)Fabrication and use of microfluidic chips; 2) Design of hydrogels for Traction Force Microscopy experiments; 3) Preparation of adhesive substrates with controlled geometry via micropatterning
• Quantitative analysis of experimental data

Skills

Skills in cell biology, biophysics, or microbiology are particularly valued. Experience in microscopy and image analysis, or in microfabrication, is considered an asset.

Work Context

The project will take place within the team of Daria Bonazzi at the Institut Jacques Monod. This recently established group brings together biophysicists and biologists with a shared interest in the mechanobiology of bacterial infections. The project offers an excellent opportunity to develop close collaborations with neighboring teams, which provide complementary expertise and experimental tools, particularly in active matter physics, cytoskeletal biophysics, and mechanotransduction in eukaryotic models.

Constraints and risks

Biological risk (handling of level 2 pathogenic bacteria; mandatory booster vaccination against meningococcus ACWY).