General information
Offer title : Molecules screening and identification of new therapeutic targets M/F (H/F)
Acronyme : TARGET
Reference : CPJ-2025-040
Supporting establishment : National Center for Scientific Research
President and CEO : Antoine PETIT
Site concerned : Saclay
Academic region : Ile-de-France
Envisaged partner institution : Université Paris-Saclay
Establishment code :
Date of publication :
20 May 2025
Type of Contract :
Tenure Track Position
Contract Period : between 3 and 6 years depending on the research project and the profile of the scientist
Proportion of work :
Full Time
Remuneration :
Annual salary from 54 600 Euros to 57 800 Euros depending on professionnal experience.
Scientific theme : Yeasts for screening natural substances and identifying therapeutic targets
Section(s) CN :
16 - Chemistry of and for life: design and properties of molecules of biological interest
Profile Required
Holders of a doctorate or a PhD or equivalent degree or applicants who have gained scientific qualifications or carried out scientific work deemed to be of an equivalent level.There is no restriction on the age or nationality of applicants. All CNRS positions are accessible to people with disabilities, with special arrangements for tests made necessary by the nature of the disability
Institution Strategy
At the CNRS, the healthcare field mobilizes a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary skills, enabling us to deploy our strengths in fundamental research around understanding the multi-factorial causes and possible connections between them, for which a person in good health tips over into pathology. In this context, understanding the global mechanisms by which living organisms function (at molecular, integrative and environmental levels) up to the point of pathological dysfunction and defining therapeutic pathways is an ambition to which the CNRS can make an effective contribution, and a source of therapeutic innovation. In this context, this project is part of a multidisciplinary continuum combining the identification and characterization of natural products of therapeutic interest, their targets and the mechanisms of action involved, enabling an understanding of pathological dysfunction and the ability to remedy it through the development of appropriate therapeutic solutions.
Host Lab Strategy
The development of new drug candidates is at the heart of ICSN laboratory research. Since its creation, in addition to bringing two anticancer drugs to market, ICSN has also built up large, unique collections of compounds and extracts from plants, marine sponges and microorganisms, the potential of which has yet to be fully exploited. In order to meet the need to identify new biological targets and drug candidates, particularly in the fight against resistance, it is essential to continue to exploit and enhance the ICSN collections built up over several years. The implementation of new screening strategies on eukaryotic models (yeast) and the identification of new therapeutic targets are among the developments that need to be implemented in the laboratory to promote the discovery of new drug candidates.
International Strategy
The Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles has long established international partnerships for the collection of extract libraries and plant samples, and has developed in-house the chain of skills and equipment required for the research, identification and characterization of products of therapeutic interest, with an integrative vision of living organisms and a concern for sustainability. The development of this Chair will help strengthen this field and attract excellent foreign students to train in this area, which is receiving less and less support in pharmacy faculties in France. Maintaining these skills and know-how is necessary alongside the development of other preventive and therapeutic health strategies.
National Directory of Research Structures (RNSR) of the host laboratory
ICSN (Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR2301) 200617587V
Summary of the scientific project
In order to meet the need to identify new biological targets and drugs (antifungals, anticancer drugs, etc.), particularly to combat resistance, and to exploit and enhance ICSN's collections of natural substances, the project will focus on two main areas of research:
- Elucidate the biological target(s) and mechanism(s) of action of compounds from the ICSN chemical library already identified as being of high therapeutic interest (anticancer and/or antifungal) using chemogenomic and chemoproteomic approaches.
- Exploit Iron-Sulfur centered proteins (human and/or fungal) and the players in their biogenesis as therapeutic targets. These proteins are essential in various fundamental cellular processes and are the subject of recent and growing interest in human health. Screening ICSN's collections will enable the identification of new drug candidates.
Summary of the teaching project
The research theme of this CNRS Chair can be applied to the targeted university and its partner establishments. The nature of the courses taught by the laureate in one of these establishments will be in line with the needs of the establishment in terms of bachelor's and master's degrees, and will take advantage of the profile of the laureate and his or her research.
Financial Environment
- Total (included package ANR) : 200 k€
- Total financement : k€
Scientific dissemination
The dissemination of the results will be done through world-class scientific productions: publications, patents, software... In addition, the results will be communicated to various targets such as scientific communities, media, decision makers, general public, schools, etc., with an adapted calendar. Specific tools may be developed such as websites, newsletters, meetings, international symposia, summer schools and conferences.
Open Science
The CNRS is developing a strong policy in favor of open science. Open science consists of making research results "as accessible as possible and closed as necessary". As such, the CNRS aims to make 100% of the texts of publications resulting from the work of its laboratories accessible , in particular through deposit in HAL. The data produced must also be made available and reusable, except for specific restrictions. In addition, the guiding principles of individual evaluation have been revised in accordance with the DORA declaration, to be more qualitative and to take into account all facets of the researcher's profession.
Science and society
The relationship between science and society is now recognized as a full dimension of scientific activity. The project will develop this dimension in synergy with all the partners. The resulting research work will contribute to informing public decision-making. Participatory science initiatives may be initiated with actors from the project’s socio-economic and cultural eco-system.
Indicators
The activity will be evaluated in particular on the basis of scientific production (publications, software, patents, etc.), on institutional and private partnerships formalized by contracts, on international presence, on the promotion of work to multidisciplinary scientific communities, on innovation and its transfer to society and on scientific dissemination to non-specialist audiences.
Methods of organization of the interviews
Only the candidates selected on file by the selection committee will be invited to the auditions.