Doctorant (M/F) en biothérapie

Job Description

Thesis Subject

The dominant goal of this interdisciplinary scientific project is to develop bio-inspired nanocarriers. This three-year doctoral project will focus on developing a novel method for encapsulating active pharmaceutical ingredients within extracellular vesicles to create an innovative anti-malarial biopharmaceutical.
The project aims to produce and characterize extracellular vesicles (EVs; exosomes) derived from human cells, particularly blood cells. The training will cover advanced cell biology techniques for EV production as well as multiparametric characterization methods. A key objective is the multimodal and multiscale characterization of EVs and the cell secretome (spanning physics, cell and molecular biology, immunology, etc) and the optimization of a workflow of specialized analytical approaches (microfluidic sorting of nano-objects, electron microscopy, nanoprobes, nano-FACS, Western blots, etc.). These techniques also enable the quantification of the encapsulation of a new anti-malarial drug—which targets the epigenetic mechanisms of the P. falciparum parasite—as its incorporation into EVs is expected to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. The student will optimize drug encapsulation and evaluate the resulting physicochemical and biological properties. This thesis work is expected to yield significant advances regarding the use of vesicles as nanocarriers to optimize the properties of innovative biopharmaceuticals.

Your Work Environment

This interdisciplinary project will be developed under the co-supervision of Dr. Olivier Blanc-Brude from the NABI unit (Nanomedicine, Extracellular Biology, Integratome, and Health Innovations; CNRS UMR8175, Inserm U1334; Saint-Germain Campus, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris) and Prof. Paola Arimondeau from the Chem4Life unit (CNRS UMR3523, Institut Pasteur; Pasteur Campus, 75006 Paris). The NABI unit comprises approximately 75 staff members—including physicists, biologists, pharmacists, engineers, and physicians, with about thirty permanent staff (CNRS, INSERM, Université Paris Cité). Its scientific objective is to develop new therapies based on biological nano-objects, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs), for the delivery of personalized treatments for hard-to-treat diseases. Studying nano-objects in biological fluids requires novel transdisciplinary approaches, multimodal and multi-scale exploration (physics, engineering, cell and molecular biology, immunology, etc.), and dedicated analytical tools (electron microscopy, nanosondes, microfluidic sorting, etc.) enhanced by AI. These include innovative methodologies developed at NABI and within the industrial integrator IVETh—a technology hub dedicated to EV characterization, bioproduction, and engineering for diagnostics and personalized therapies. EpiChBio is a research team specializing in epigenetic chemical biology within the Chem4Life laboratory at the Institut Pasteur. Its goal is to design new chemical tools for studying epigenetic modifications, as well as new drugs targeting cancer and pathogen-related diseases.
During this fully funded three-year PhD program, the student will join the multidisciplinary 'Nanobiotherapies' team as part of the CNRS 'Step-EV' project (MITI-2026 call for proposals). The PhD candidate will be affiliated with the HOD Doctoral School (ED 561) at Université Paris Cité, specializing in Hematology, Oncogenesis, and Biotherapies. Experimental work will be conducted primarily at the Université de Paris's Saints-Pères campus, with some work taking place at the Institut Pasteur; both sites are located in central Paris. All necessary infrastructure and reagents are already available within the research groups.
This position falls within a sector subject to the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST) regulations; consequently, your appointment requires authorization from the competent authority at the MESR.

Constraints and risks

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, or biochemistry. The position requires solid knowledge of cell culture and/or techniques for characterizing extracellular vesicles (biochemistry and biophysics), and/or the ability to operate complex microfluidic systems. An interest in processing complex data—including writing and using Python code—is highly desirable, as is an interest in new AI algorithms. Candidates should also have experience or training in biological chemistry. Strong oral and written communication skills (English required) are essential for presenting at international conferences and writing articles for scientific journals. We are seeking a committed, curious, and self-motivated early-career researcher eager to develop skills in the field of biopharmaceuticals. Additionally, the candidate must be capable of working within a team on multidisciplinary projects. The role involves regular work in a Biosafety Level 2 (L2) laboratory using biological material derived from primary human cells (primarily blood-derived) and novel chemical compounds.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions