Informations générales
Intitulé de l'offre : Phd in a cell mechanics project (H/F)
Référence : UMR168-KHEDIN-014
Nombre de Postes : 1
Lieu de travail : PARIS 05
Date de publication : mardi 15 juillet 2025
Type de contrat : CDD Doctorant
Durée du contrat : 36 mois
Date de début de la thèse : 1 octobre 2025
Quotité de travail : Complet
Rémunération : 2200 gross monthly
Section(s) CN : 11 - Matière molle : synthèse, élaboration, assemblages, structure, propriétés, fonctions
Description du sujet de thèse
We are looking for a PhD candidate in physics or biophysics, with experience in experimental work, to participate in a cell mechanics project within the framework of the European project "Pushing Cell" at the CNRS laboratory "Physics of Cells and Cancer" at the Institut Curie, in the team of P. Bassereau (Membranes and Cellular Functions).
The project consists in measuring the pushing forces exerted by cells in response to external stimulation linked to the local topography of the cell membrane, as well as the contribution of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. These measurements will be carried out using optical tweezers coupled to confocal microscopy. This technique is available within the team. More generally, the European "Pushing Cell" consortium brings together 2 teams of physicists (theoreticians and experimentalists) and 2 teams of cell biologists; it aims to determine the biological and physical processes enabling cells to move in a biological matrix in the absence of adhesion but using the topography of the medium.
We are looking for candidates with previous experience in mechanobiology and in manipulation of cells. The candidate must be a highly motivated and dynamic scientist, interested in interdisciplinary work, able to communicate in English (oral and written skills).
Contexte de travail
This biophysics project will be carried out under the direction of Patricia Bassereau, as part of the ERC Synergy project PushingCell, in close collaboration with theoretical physicists (Pierre Sens, Physics of Cells and Cancer, Institut Curie) and cell biologists specializing in cell migration and actin (Michael Sixt, IST Austria, Vienna, Austria) and microtubules (Anna Akhmanova, University of Utrecht, Netherlands). The "Physics of Cells and Cancer" unit (UMR 168) brings together physicists and biologists working to discover the role of physical laws in the architecture and functions of cellular systems. More generally, the Institut Curie is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter in Paris, an area with a rich academic tradition. It offers a highly interdisciplinary and international working environment, with state-of-the-art imaging and cell and molecular biology platforms, as well as access to the IPGG's microfabrication and microfluidics platform.
Contraintes et risques
No special risk