Missions

The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in an InCa project studying chemoresistance mechanisms in prostate cancer. The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for implementing microscopy tools (including FLIM, FCS, SPT) and image analysis to study the molecular changes associated with the formation of mitochondrial and ER interaction regions. The aim of the work is to establish the role of ion channels regulating the Ca2+ signature in the cellular and molecular reprogramming that induces chemoresistance in PCa.

Activities

- Microscopy
-Cell biology :Living cells and organoids labelled with fluorescence
- Dynamic tracking of the location and interaction of proteins of interest using FCS, SPT and FRET.
- Instrumentation: Setting up a multiplex measurement device
- Conducting experimental campaigns
- Image analysis and development of associated methods
- Presentation of results at team meetings and conferences
- Publications

Skills

- Autonomy and organisation
-Ability to work in a interdisiplinary team
- good knowledge of cell biology and bioimaging
- Autonomy in microscopy
- mastery of image analysis techniques
- knowledge of optics and instrumentation

Work Context

The Functional Cellular Biophotonics Group (led by L. Heliot) at the Laser, Atom and Molecule Physics Laboratory (PhLAM) has been working within the DySco team for several years to develop original techniques for molecular imaging in living cells using fluorescence microscopy. This interdisciplinary group (biology, instrumentation, physics, image analysis) develops techniques for analysing and quantifying molecular interactions and dynamics. Our research focuses on the study of molecular assembly dynamics within regulatory networks. The postdoctoral researcher will work on the InCa project: Identification of intracellular calcium channel signature for the prognosis and targeting of treatment-resistant prostate cancer. This project involves five other laboratories, including Inserm U1003, OncoLille.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-cutaneous malignant tumour in men and the second most deadly tumour, with the highest incidence in industrialised countries. Understanding the processes leading to the progression of prostate cancer to aggressive phenotypes resistant to chemotherapy and the development of new therapeutic targets are necessary to improve patient survival and quality of life. It is now well established that Ca2+ is a critical regulator of cancer cell death and survival. This is why calcium signalling has become a promising new area of research in oncology. This is why calcium signalling has become a promising new area of research in oncology. The specific Ca2+ signatures of cellular phenotypes controlling cell survival (such as senescence, autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction) are still unclear, raising important questions: 1) What are the Ca2+ signalling events localised in chemoresistant cancer cells? 2) What is the role of autophagy and senescence in resistance? 3) What are the calcium mechanisms that reciprocally regulate autophagy and senescence? 4) Can Ca2+ channels and cellular vulnerability be used to reduce or even eliminate chemoresistance? The ultimate goal of this collaborative project is to establish the role of ion channels regulating the Ca2+ signature in the cellular and molecular reprogramming that induces chemoresistance in PCa.