Missions

This position is part of ANR 2025 GUTPOWER, which explores the microbiota–gut–aging axis in a reef fish (clownfish) through coordinated ecological, cellular, and omics approaches. The postdoctoral researcher will be required to quantify cellular and molecular biomarkers of intestinal aging: tissue degeneration, DNA damage response (DDR), senescence, barrier integrity, inflammation, and telomere length, and integrate them with the microbiome/metabolome datasets generated by our collaborators; ensure timely delivery to meet network/dynamic modeling needs.

Activités

1. Tissue & cellular phenotyping of intestinal ageing across life stages in vertebrate models: histology and immunostaining for epithelial integrity and immune infiltration; quantitative image analysis (ImageJ/Fiji).
2. Innate and adaptive immune readouts: marker panels for myeloid/lymphoid compartments; inflammatory transcriptional profiling (e.g., cytokines/interferon-stimulated genes) by RT-qPCR/RNA.
3. Stress and damage signalling in gut epithelium: assays for DNA damage response and proliferative state (e.g., γH2AX/53BP1, PCNA), and senescence markers where relevant; alignment with organismal readouts.
4. Barrier function and homeostasis: assays linked to epithelial permeability and tight-junction components; integration with immune signatures to infer causal relationships.
5. Data management & integration: produce clear datasets with documented data; contribute to interim and final reports in line with ANR requirements.
6. Dissemination & supervision: contribute to manuscript drafting; present results in consortium meetings; mentor Master's trainees associated with the team.

Compétences

We are looking for a highly motivated Research Engineer (preferably with a phd) who is eager to integrate knowledge ranging from molecular and cellular biology to the biology of aging. Specifically:
• Prior knowledge of barrier tissue immunology and/or the biology of aging; familiarity with zebrafish models.
• Practical experience in immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, quantitative image analysis, and gene expression testing (RT-qPCR/RNA methods).
• Strong command of experimental design, statistics, data analysis, and reproducible documentation.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills in English. • Experience in intestinal epithelial biology (barrier integrity, regeneration) and interaction with innate/adaptive immunity.

Contexte de travail

The project builds on our prior zebrafish work, where we established telomerase-deficient zebrafish as a premature-ageing model and demonstrated that short telomeres in key tissues initiate local and systemic ageing (Carneiro et al., PLoS Genet 2016). Specifically, we identified cGAS–STING as a central sensor of telomere-associated DNA damage in vivo (Serifoglu et al. EMBO J 2025) telomere erosion in intestinal epithelia triggers cGAS–STING activation with robust type-I interferon and SASP programs, driving gut barrier dysfunction and propagating inflammation and aging to distal organs.

Contraintes et risques

N/A

Informations complémentaires

• CV (methods mastered, publications; ORCID/Google Scholar links)
• Cover letter (≤2 pages) detailing fit with MGF team
• Two referees (email and phone)
• Availability and preferred start date
Scientific contact: Dr Miguel Godinho Ferreira — IRCAN, Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS (contact email to be provided for the emploi.cnrs.fr posting).