Missions

-The candidate (M/F) will be recruited as part of an ANR-funded project conducted in collaboration with a laboratory at the University of Strasbourg. The project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of ciliogenesis in general and in the specific context of photoreceptors.
Cilia are tiny microtubular organelles found on the surface of most mammalian cells. Alterations in their formation, stability or function cause rare diseases known as ciliopathies. These are associated with a wide range of symptoms, many of which involve abnormalities in photoreceptors (PR) leading to retinal degeneration. PR homeostasis depends on the correct assembly and function of their cilia, but many different mechanisms have been implicated in the retinal degeneration associated with ciliopathies.
The objectives of the project are 1) to identify new players in ciliary homeostasis using biochemical and proteomic approaches on mammalian cells, and 2) to study the molecular mechanisms of ciliogenesis involving the proteins identified both in cultured cells and in the context of PRs by combining functional tests and microscopy-based approaches, in particular high-resolution expansion microscopy (U-ExM).

Activités

Main tasks
- Using biochemical and proteomic approaches, identify proteins associated with centrioles/cilia (generate the centriole proteome - capture or sucrose gradient approaches; immunoprecipitation; molecular dissection of protein-protein interactions)
- Apply molecular biology, cell biology and imaging approaches to study the roles of the identified proteins in ciliogenesis (cell culture, mouse retina).

Secondary tasks
- Supervise Master's students
- Collaborate and discuss results collectively with team members and with the ANR partner team
- Communicate research results (seminars, publications)

Compétences

- PhD in cell biology or biochemistry
- Solid experience in biochemistry and proteomics
- Experience in proteomic analysis
- Experience in microscopy is a plus. If not, a willingness to acquire expertise in microscopic approaches is mandatory

Contexte de travail

The project will be carried out within the MeLiS unit (Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, CNRS 5284 INSERM 1314) in Prof. Bénédicte Durand's team under the supervision of Dr. Véronique Morel, ANR project leader. The team studies the molecular processes of ciliogenesis, using Drosophila and cultured cells as model systems and developing approaches in genetics, molecular biology and microscopy. The projects draw on extensive expertise in expansion microscopy, an innovative tissue preparation technique that enables super-resolution observations with conventional microscopes, both in cells and thick tissues. (https://www.inmg.fr/melis/en/team_durand.php).
The MeLiS unit teams (https://www.inmg.fr/melis/en/melis.php) are interested in the molecular mechanisms at work in various cellular compartments, from cilia, membranes and axons to synapses and circuits, with a focus on neuronal and muscle cells. They study various biological processes and their alterations in human diseases affecting developing, adult and ageing organisms using a wide range of models (Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, chicken, mouse and human) and approaches, including genetics, large-scale molecular analyses, in vivo manipulations, behavioural tests, and numerous microscopy techniques (super-resolution microscopy, expansion microscopy, in vivo 2-photon microscopy, light sheet microscopy, electron microscopy).
MeliS is a very dynamic and lively environment, with a very active young researchers' club and a Greenlab team. It is located in the Faculty of Medicine buildings in the city of Lyon, which is very well served by public transport.

Contraintes et risques

none