Missions

-The goal of this project is to develop cellular and animal models to study a newly-discovered degenerative skeletal muscle disease termed PLIN4-associated myopathy (PMID: 32451610). We have recently shown that this disease, which leads to loss of skeletal muscle function and tetraplegy, involves aggregation of the protein perilipin 4 (PLIN4), which forms amyloid fibrils -- similar to proteins involved in neurodegenerative disease, such as a-synuclein (https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.03.657256). PLIN4 is highly expressed in skeletal muscle, where it associates with lipid droplets. We aim to develop a Drosophila model to study how diet and tissue-specific lipid metabolism and ageing affect PLIN4 aggregation and muscle degeneration, with the goal of developing therapeutic treatments for patients. Other cellular models (budding yeast and mammalian cell culture) will also be used in the project.
Candidates interested in pursuing a PhD thesis are especially encouraged to apply.

Activités

- Construct knock-in transgenic flies expressing human protein variants in different tissues (molecular biology, fly genetics)
- Analyze of protein expression and localization in cells and tissues using confocal fluorescent microscopy, biochemical and genomic approaches
- Conduct protein aggregation assays and lipid analyses
- Assess growth and behavioral phenotypes in flies and other models
- Quantitative data analysis
- Analyze experimental results and ensure their follow-up and quality
- Write experimental reports and protocols.
- Participate in the dissemination of results in the form of publications and oral presentations.

Compétences

Knowledge:
- Master's degree in cell biology and genetics, biochemistry or quantitative biology
- Good knowledge of confocal fluorescence microscopy
- Good knowledge of bioinformatics tools applied to molecular biology, image analysis and statistical analysis
- Knowledge of molecular biology, genetics and cell biology and/or biochemistry

Know-how:
- Familiarity with routine techniques in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology and fluorescent microscopy
- Optimisation of experimental protocols
- Organisation and analysis of data, manipulation of data processing software, preparation of figures for publications.
- Analysis of primary literature
- Reporting and presentation of results in English at team and collaborator meetings
- Good communication skills in English (written and oral)

Personal skills:
- Rigorous experimental and data analysis skills
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Autonomy in planning and managing experiments.
- Analytical and quantitative reasoning skills.
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.

Contexte de travail

The CRBM (Centre for Research in Cell Biology of Montpellier (UMR 5237, CNRS and the University of Montpellier) is organised in 18 research teams, technological platforms and common services, and employs about 150 people (researchers and teacher-researchers, engineers, technicians and administrative staff, PhD students and post-doctoral fellows). The CRBM is connected with other institutes on the same campus and with different platforms, including the MRI imaging platform equipped with the most advanced microscopes and dedicated staff.
The team 'Cell biology of lipid storage and transfer', is led by Alenka Copic, and composed of 2 researchers, 2 engineers and 2 postdocs. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the team of Albert Tsai and other teams at the CRBM, and in collaboration with partners in France and Europe working on degenerative disease.

Contraintes et risques

No particular constraints or risks. Missions in France and/or in Europe are expected.