Missions

The engineer will be in charge of establishing and running a support platform for protein engineering and evolution. This platform will be addressing the protein engineering requirement of the PEPR program primarily, but may be involved secondarily in other enzyme engineering and enzyme evolution projects. As head of this platform, the candidate will be responsible for organizing it as an efficient tool to serve these projects.
He/she will have a large degree of freedom to organise the platform in the most efficient way toward generating new enzymes. As head of the platform, the candidate will be fully integrated in a number of cutting-edge research projects.

Activités

The candidate will have three main responsibilities:
- developing and running a high-throughput enzyme expression, purification and characterisation platform.
- participating more generally in the establishment and standardization of the enzyme evolution pipeline, including advanced tool for library generation and analysis, display and selection protocols, microfluidics, sequencing, automation and characterisation. Most of this routines are already up and running in the group, but need to be assembled into a streamlined process. This task includes developing the platform with new equipment and consumables using the dedicated budget.
- assisting with general coordination of the group with respect to enzyme evolution and PEPR involvement.

Compétences

A candidate is sought with at least training in protein expression and purification. The establishment of expression and chromatographic purification system will be the initial task and therefore prior experience is required. Although the group has some know-how in chromatography, the candidate is expected to be responsible for setup operation and be pro-active in maintenance.
The directed evolution pipeline comprises many other steps, including protein in vivo or in vitro expression, display7, and smart mutant library generation9, next generation sequencing. Candidates with one or more relevant skills, or with some experience in directed evolution are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. However, candidates with missing items but a strong appetence at developing new skills are also welcome.
Although hosted in Gulliver laboratory, ESPCI, the platform is aimed at serving the entire consortium and community. Therefore, the head of the protein engineering platform will also be supporting the general coordination of these projects and may be asked to collaborate with partner laboratories. Candidates with good communication skills will be preferred.

Requirements:
• High level of proactivity and responsibility as well as scientific rigour are a must.
• Self-organised, good communication, good scientific reporting
• Experience in protein expression and purification with desire to expand its skills set
• Familiarity with directed evolution and/or DNA-related molecular biology would be of advantage.

Contexte de travail

Thejcandidate will be part of the PEPR "MoleculArXiv" and work in the Molecular Programs and Systems (SPM) team at Gulliver ESPCI/PSL in Psris. The team is known for his contribution to molecular programming, ultra-sensitive diagnostics, and protein engineering. Apart from studying the fundamental aspects of enzyme-driven nucleic acids-based circuits, practical application targeted at the quantification of circulating biomarkers for cancer diagnostics and high-throughput directed evolution of enzymes are a strong focus. Both applications have translated into industrial applications through the foundation of spin-off.
The SPM group is hosted in the Gulliver lab at ESPCI in the 5th district in Paris. The lab offers an interdisciplinary convivial environment to explore original ideas and develop creative research projects.
The group is currently involved in the 7-year priority research program (PEPR) “MoleculArXiv”, and in particular, in its work package one: Next Generation Synthesis of DNA. The group is thus currently developing new technologies of DNA synthesis and more specifically, enzymatic tools to do so. For this goal, new ultrahigh throughput directed evolution approaches are being established.
This work leverages the group's extensive experience in high throughput evolution of enzymes, with a focus on in vitro protocols, as well as NGS sequencing, microfluidics, machine learning and general molecular biology. However, as part of the PEPR project the group is seeking to augment its capabilities in the generation of promising enzyme candidates and their characterisation.

Le poste se situe dans un secteur relevant de la protection du potentiel scientifique et technique (PPST), et nécessite donc, conformément à la réglementation, que votre arrivée soit autorisée par l'autorité compétente du MESR.

Contraintes et risques

Funding is available over 5 years, with an initial work contract of two years (renewable)
This position is located in an area covered by the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST) and therefore, in accordance with regulations, requires your arrival to be authorized by the competent MESR authority.

Informations complémentaires

https://www.cnrs.fr/en/pepr/pepr-exploratoire-molecularxiv-stockage-sur-adn.