Post-doc position to study collagen secretion in healthy or fibrotic cells (M/F)

Missions

A post-doctoral research position is available in the “Intracellular compartmentalisation” team at the Institut Jacques Monod (UMR7592CNRS/Université Paris Cité, Paris, France) to work on a project that will study the secretion of extracellular matrix proteins.
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 around 17% of the body’s protein weight. For the ECM to be assembled correctly, cells must secrete folded collagens and degrade excess or misfolded collagens. When either secretion or degradation occurs incorrectly, the resulting ECM is misassembled, leading to lethal problems in tissue construction, forming aberrant structures such as tumours or fibrotic scars. We will study the cellular mechanisms of this sorting of intracellular collagens for secretion or degradation in the secretory pathway. We will focus on the molecular complexes involved in the export of collagen from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus.

Activities

• Participate in project design,
• Use and develop new methodologies
• Carry out experiments,
• Analyse and communicate results,
• Write 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 properties of fibrotic cell dynamics.

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 within the framework of collaborative projects with teams from outside the Institute, have the ability to manage a project, and be able to express themselves in English, both orally and in writing.

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.