Functional Genomics of LCCL Postdoctoral Researcher

Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne; Reims; Sur place; EUR 28 000 - 29 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne recherche un Postdoctoral Researcher pour étudier des protéines LCCL dans Cryptosporidium, avec un programme de découverte et un criblage CRISPR ciblé. Le candidat travaillera sur des lignées modifiées et des phénotypes liés au développement parasitaire.

Le poste, financé par Coefficient Giving (USA), implique des responsabilités de publication et de proposition de recherches futures, en collaboration internationale.

Qualifications

• Docteur en parasitologie, microbiologie, biologie moléculaire, biologie cellulaire ou domaine connexe.
• Capacité à concevoir, réaliser et analyser des expériences de manière autonome.
• Excellentes compétences en rédaction scientifique et en communication.

Responsabilités

• Conduire des expériences ciblées sur les protéines LCCL dans Cryptosporidium.
• Établir et optimiser un criblage CRISPR ciblé des gènes LCCL.
• Analyser des lignées Cryptosporidium génétiquement modifiées.
• Mettre au point des tests phénotypiques robustes sur le développement du parasite.
• Prioriser les protéines LCCL selon les preuves génétiques et phénotypiques.
• Valider les candidats prometteurs par perturbations génétiques indépendantes.
• Caractériser les phénotypes par des approches moléculaires et de microscopie.
• Étudier la localisation et le contexte cellulaire des protéines LCCL.
• Établir des liens fonctionnels entre protéines LCCL et le développement parasite.
• Générer des données de découverte pour des études futures et des propositions.

Connaissances

Conception et analyse d’expériences

Capacité de travail indépendant

Très bonnes compétences en rédaction

Formation

Doctorat en parasitologie / microbiologie / biologie moléculaire

Outils

CRISPR/Cas

Description du poste

A propos de nous

As the 5th largest employer in the Champagne-Ardenne region, the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne employs approximately 2,500 permanent staff members spread across 6 campuses.

Choosing the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne means joining a dynamic, ambitious, and innovative university deeply rooted in its region and open to the international community. It also means contributing to the quality of life and success of our students while supporting the development of research projects.

Votre mission, si vous l’acceptez

The ESCAPE Research Unit at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA) is seeking a motivated and creative Postdoctoral Researcher to investigate a poorly characterized family of Cryptosporidium proteins containing LCCL domains.

The position is part of a newly funded research program supported by Coefficient Giving (USA). The project aims to establish the functional relevance of LCCL-domain proteins in Cryptosporidium and identify candidate proteins associated with the formation and development of infectious parasite stages. LCCL domains are found in proteins associated with developmental and structural processes in several Apicomplexa, but their biological functions in Cryptosporidium remain poorly understood. Our preliminary observations point to a group of LCCL-domain proteins associated with the crystalloid body (CB), a distinctive structure observed during parasite development (Fig. 1). The central objective of the project is to move from this initial observation to functional evidence by systematically testing candidate LCCL-domain proteins.

Research program

The project will establish a targeted CRISPR-based functional screening strategy for LCCL-domain proteins in Cryptosporidium.

• establish and optimize a targeted CRISPR screen of LCCL-domain protein genes;
• generate and analyse genetically modified Cryptosporidium lines ;
• develop robust phenotyping assays to identify candidate genes associated with parasite development ;
• prioritize LCCL-domain proteins on the basis of genetic and phenotypic evidence ;
• validate the most promising candidates through independent genetic perturbations ;
• characterize the resulting phenotypes using molecular and microscopy-based approaches ;
• investigate the localization and cellular context of selected LCCL-domain proteins ;
• establish the first functional links between LCCL-domain proteins and parasite developmental processes ;
• generate discovery data providing the foundation for subsequent mechanistic studies ;
• contribute to the preparation of manuscripts and future research proposals arising from the project.

The project is deliberately designed as a discovery program. The successful candidate will therefore have an important role in deciding how promising candidates should be followed up as new results emerge.

Le profil idéal

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with an interest in functional genomics, parasite biology and molecular mechanisms of development.

Required qualifications

• PhD in parasitology, microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, infection biology or a related field ;
• strong experience in experimental molecular or cellular biology ;
• ability to design, perform and analyze experiments independently ;
• good scientific writing and communication skills ;
• ability to work effectively in a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment.

Desirable experience

• CRISPR/Cas-based genome engineering ;
• functional genomics or genetic screening ;
• Cryptosporidium or other Apicomplexa ;
• parasite culture and genetic manipulation ;
• fluorescence microscopy or live-cell imaging ;
• quantitative phenotyping ;
• molecular characterization of proteins.

Type of recrutement

• Category A position, Postdoctoral researcher
• Fixed-term contract (CDD) starting from 01/01/2027 until 31/12/2028.

Application deadline: 22/10/2026

Salaire : De 2504 à 2600 € (Euros) par mois

Expérience : Junior (1-2 ans)