Description of the thesis topic

The “Biofilms, Résistances, Interactions Cellules Surfaces” team of the Polymers, Biopolymers, Surfaces Laboratory - UMR 6270 CNRS, based at Rouen Normandie University, is offering a 24-month research engineer position on the ANR SUCOMB research project: “Sirtuins and lysine acetyltransferases: new targets for new antibiofilm drugs”. Faced with the increasingly alarming resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, there is an urgent need to better understand bacterial survival mechanisms and to find new therapeutic targets for the development of new antibacterial molecules. In this context, post-translational modifications (PTMs) are an interesting avenue of study. They are crucial for regulating cellular functions in all living organisms, on short time scales. Among PTMs, acetylation is one for which little is known (actors involved and role). However, we have obtained interesting preliminary data showing that acetylation plays a crucial role in the physiology of the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, classified as a “Critical Priority” by the WHO in 2024 and for which new control strategies are urgently needed. Consequently, targeting the players involved in acetylation may be a promising antibacterial strategy, as has been demonstrated to treat certain cancers and latent viral infections. The aim of the SUCOMB project (ANR funding) is to gain a better understanding of the acetylation process in order to propose new molecules to combat the biofilm formation and environmental persistence of A. baumannii, in particular by targeting proteins involved in the addition or elimination of acetylation.
The main activities concern the construction of mutants (gene deletions and amino acid mutants) and the associated phenotypic tests. The candidate will also be required to carry out proteomic studies. The candidate will join an interdisciplinary group comprising microbiologists and chemists specialized in proteomics and microbiology.
The PhD student recruited for the ANR SUCOMB project will join the BRICS team in the PBS laboratory (Université de Rouen). The candidate will have skills in microbiology (phenotypic tests, cultures, etc.), molecular biology (PCR, directed mutagenesis, sequence analysis, construction of protein expression vectors, etc.) and proteomic analysis. The candidate will be involved in drafting project follow-up reports, protocols and publications, as well as supervising trainees. The person recruited will take part in collective tasks as part of the life of the laboratory.

Work Context

The person recruited for this thesis will be under the supervision of Dr Julie Hardouin and Pr Emmanuelle Dé of the BRICS team (Biofilms, résistances, Interactions cellules-Surfaces) of the Polymers, Biopolymers, Surfaces Laboratory (PBS) (UMR CNRS 6270), located at the University Rouen Normandie. PBS is a joint research unit of the CNRS and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) Rouen Normandie. Studying and understanding the various molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation, regulation or development of bacterial biofilms is the major research focus of the BRICS team. The position is located in an area covered by the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and so, in accordance with regulations, your arrival requires authorization from the competent MESR authority.

The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.

Constraints and risks

Chemical and microbiological risks

Additional Information

Candidates should apply via the CNRS job portal by submitting their application, which should include a curriculum vitae (with a full list of publications), a cover letter, one to two letters of recommendation and the contact details of 2-3 referees. Candidates who have already responded to this ad via other ad sites should not respond to this ad again. Applications that are not complete will not be considered. The deadline for applications is July 30, 2025. A response will be given from September 1, 2025.