ILRI Vacancy : Post Doctoral Scientist – CTLGH

ILRI; Montpellier; Sur place; EUR 30 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher focusing on the East Coast fever tolerance project. You will lead innovative research using in vitro assays to understand the mechanisms affecting African cattle, contributing to scientific literature and funding proposals.

Qualifications

• PhD required in a relevant field.
• Extensive experience in flow cytometry essential.
• Familiarity with molecular biology and qPCR methods.

Responsabilités

• Lead research on ECF tolerance mechanisms in African Indigenous cattle.
• Conduct in vitro assays and present findings at conferences.
• Contribute to proposals for research funding.

Connaissances

Flow Cytometry

Cell Separation

Cell Proliferation Assays

qPCR

Molecular Biology Assays

Formation

PhD in Cellular Biology, Cancer Biology, Host-Pathogen Interaction or Mammalian Innate Immunity

Outils

CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing

Description du poste

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Postdoctoral Researcher to support the East Coast fever (ECF) tolerance project, part of the Center for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) Dairy Genomics research pillar.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR Research Centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the PI, play a lead role in ILRI’s research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to tolerance towards Theileria parva, the causative agent of East Coast fever (ECF), in African Indigenous cattle with specific single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with this tolerance.

Activities include :

• Perform in vitro infectivity assays with T. parva sporozoites and lymphocytes from tolerant and susceptible animals.
• Perform cell proliferation and flow cytometry assays to characterize the parasites’ subcellular tropism in tolerant and susceptible animals.
• Plan experiments to generate qPCR and transcriptomics data of infected cells.
• Conduct genome editing experiments in stable T. parva Muguga-infected lymphocytes (TpM) lines to identify / confirm genes responsible for the in vivo ECF-tolerance and in vitro proliferation phenotypes.
• Present research findings at regular lab meetings.
• Present papers at international scientific conferences.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Contribute to the development of resource mobilization proposals as appropriate.

Requirements

• PhD in Cellular Biology, Cancer Biology, Host-Pathogen Interaction or Mammalian Innate Immunity.
• Proven extensive experience working with flow cytometry and cell separation by FACS or MACS columns.
• Proven experience in executing cell proliferation assays.
• Ability to perform qPCR assays, prepare samples for transcriptomic analysis, and other molecular biology assays.
• Experience in parasitology or characterizing apoptotic pathways is an added advantage.
• Prior experience in performing luciferase reporter assays is a plus.
• Experience with CRISPR-Cas genome editing in mammalian cells is an advantage.