Missions

The person will take part in a structural study of small types of mannosylation of glycoproteins that are important in immunological and cancer biology. He/she will interact with the postdoctoral researcher from Dr. Hans Bakker's group at the Medical Faculty of Hannover, Germany, as part of an international collaborative project funded by the ANR (Agence Nationale de Recherche) and the DFG (Deutsche Forschung Gemeinshaft). The title of the project is 'Tools to Study Paucimannose, C-Mannose and O-Mannose N-Glycans in Human Leukocytes', which envisages using lectins/glycan-binding proteins to extract from neutrophils N-, O- or C-mannose-conjugated proteins that are known to play an important role in immune defence. The structural studies include: 1) obtaining the crystal structure of at least one of the lectin-azurocidin complexes, 2) small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements for all the complexes observed on the SWING beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron and, 3) for the largest complexes, attempts to obtain the structure of the lectin-glycoprotein complex using the cryo-EM facility of the same synchrotron. The Lille group has an extensive interface with the team's bioinformaticians (Biomolecular Interactions and Dynamics, BInD) for the prediction of protein folding, structure and binding.

Activities

- The successful candidate will be required to choose, develop and adapt protocols to develop the tools needed for structural and functional studies.
- He/she will be required to write experimental reports and articles in English, and to pass on the knowledge acquired in the course of his/her work to students on placements or in doctoral theses.
- He or she will manage the stocks of biological reagents, the supply of nitrogen for the cells and the consumables needed to carry out the experiments.
- He or she will have to comply with health and safety regulations.

Skills

The skills required are:
- Solid knowledge of molecular and structural biology, mammalian cell culture and biochemistry techniques (production and purification of native and/or recombinant proteins, structural analyses of (glyco)proteins by crystallography, DLS and CD, ITC and SPR interaction techniques, and mass spectrometry).
- Good knowledge of SAXS techniques and cryogenic electron microscopy will be highly valued assets.
- Knowledge of glycosylation physiology and immunobiology will be a plus.
- A very high standard of scientific English, both written and spoken.

Work Context

Staff will be assigned to the Structural and Functional Glycobiology Unit (UGSF), UMR 8576, at the University of Lille, CNRS Haute Borne Campus, Villeneuve d'Ascq. The candidate will have access to all research equipment via the various technological platforms of the University of Lille and the CNRS. The mission will take place within the framework of the ANR PRCI PetitGly under the direction of Dr. Julie Bouckaert, as well as having an international aspect with exchanges of postdoctoral researchers with the lab of Dr. Hans Bakker, from the Faculty of Medicine in Hanover, Germany.