Missions

The agent's main mission will be to construct recombinant baculoviruses in order to produce and purify antibodies and derived antibodies. This mission is an integral part of the European-funded « ABCardionostics, Human Antibody-enabled Cardiovascular Personalized Theranosis » project. In this context, the agent will be expected to contribute to project progress meetings and to the drafting of project documents. The agent will also have to participate, like all other members of the laboratory, in the preparation of buffers and culture media.

Activités

Take charge of a research and development project
. Select and adapt analysis and experimentation technologies to the project.
. Carry out experiments on schedule
. Present results at laboratory and project progress meetings
. Monitor project-related scientific and technological developments
. Write project progress reports
. Write numbered laboratory notebooks and technical protocols as part of quality management.

2. Adapt experimental conditions to suit a range of techniques
. Clone genes from plasmids and viral DNA.
. Maintain, infect and transfect insect cell lines.
. Establish recombinant virus construction strategies according to project characteristics and/or constraints.
. Build multi-recombinant baculoviruses, clone them and characterize their genome.
. Multiply baculoviruses in serum-free media.
. Produce and purify antibodies.
. Characterize antibodies.

3. Participate in platform organization:
. Participate in Quality Management according to NFX50-900 standard
. Manage consumables stocks and orders
. Suggest ways of improving general operations.

Compétences

Knowledge
. General knowledge of molecular biology, virology, chemistry and biochemistry and cell biology
. Knowledge of the basic principles of purification of labeled and unlabeled proteins.
. English language: B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
. Knowledge of health and safety regulations
. Notions of ISO 9001 quality management.

2. Know-how
The following techniques must be mastered:
. Molecular biology: gene cloning, PCR, nucleic acid extraction from bacteria and viruses. Molecular DNA/DNA hybridization and all related techniques, probe preparation, gene synthesis, Southern blot, etc.
. Protein analysis: polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot, ELISA.
. Cell culture: in particular insect cell culture.
. Virology: baculovirus multiplication, titration of viral suspensions. Construction of mono- and multi-recombinant baculoviruses: virus generation, virus purification, characterization of viral genomes.
Computer science:
. Word processing (e.g. Word), sequence analysis software (e.g. Serial Cloner), sequence alignment software (e.g. Multalin, Clustal).
. Bibliographic research on PUBMED.
. How to find a gene sequence in GenBank.
. Protein sequence analysis.

3. Skills
Analytical reasoning skills
Interpersonal skills
Organizational skills
Rigor / reliability
Autonomy

Contexte de travail

BioCampus Montpellier (BCM https://www.biocampus.cnrs.fr/) - CNRS UAR3426 - INSERM US09 - UM groups together 19 technological platforms spread across various technical platforms within the research laboratories of the Biology-Health and Agronomy/Environment/Biodiversity clusters in and around Montpellier. More than 300 employees, both within and outside UAR3426, work on these platforms.
The BACFLY platform (https://www.bacfly.cnrs.fr/) is one of the BCM platforms. It belongs to the MAbImprove Laboratory of Excellence (ANR-10-LABX-5). It has been awarded the IBiSA label since 2019, and ISO 9001:2015 - NFX 50-900 certification since April 2023.

Platform missions:
. Services and research collaborations
. Research (Study of the baculovirus and its host cell, the lepidopteran cell, and development of specific original tools)
Application to the production of recombinant proteins for therapeutic use, such as antibodies and antibody-derived molecules, complex proteins and vaccines.
. Development (publications/patents/research collaboration contracts)

In this highly competitive environment, BACFLY is developing numerous collaborations with academic and private laboratories, particularly in the field of therapeutic antibodies and vaccines.
The BACFLY platform is located in Saint Christol lès Alès, around 75 km north of Montpellier. It currently employs 10 people. Activities are divided into 3 complementary areas (i) Optimisation of post-translational modifications / vaccines and VLP Virus-Like-Particles (ii) Production of antibodies and antibody derivatives (iii) Production / purification of recombinant proteins. The laboratory's activities are organised on a project basis, with all ITAs either responsible for a project or collaborating on a project with another ITA. R&D activities are highly valorised (publications & patents) and are regularly part of collaborative research contracts with international research groups or companies.

The proposed post will consolidate the "Optimisation of post-translational modifications / vaccines and VLP Virus-Like-Particles" area and the person recruited will be supervised by the head of this area.

Contraintes et risques

Working in a biology laboratory (L1)