PhD Student - BioImp Project

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 30 000 - 45 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Une institution de recherche prestigieuse recrute un collaborateur spécialisé en immunologie pour un projet innovant sur la modification génétique des lymphocytes T. Le poste propose une opportunité de doctorat, sous la supervision directe d'un professeur renommé, dans le cadre de recherches sur les thérapies cellulaires optimisées pour le traitement des cancers.

Qualifications

• Recherche doctoral sur les iICPs et les cellules T dans le cadre d'un projet de recherche innovant.
• Anglais courant (niveau B2 minimum) est requis.

Responsabilités

• Screening des iICPs exprimés dans les cellules T dérivées des cancers.
• Évaluation de l'impact fonctionnel des modifications via la technologie CRISPR/Cas9.

Connaissances

Modification génétique des lymphocytes T

Culture de cellules humaines primaires et lignées cellulaires

Cytométrie en flux

RT-qPCR

Tri cellulaire

Présentation orale

Rédaction scientifique

Formation

Master en sciences biologiques ou équivalent

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Université Marie et Louis Pasteur Research Field Biological sciences Medical sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 31 Aug 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Reference Number FEDER 6210 BioImp (Bioprocess Improvement) BFC0002 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The BioImp project is supported by Europe and the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region within the framework of a FEDER project for 2024-2027. This project aims to improve existing biotherapies and bioproduction for the treatment of cancers and inflammatory diseases. To achieve this, the research team will conduct an in-depth study of the mechanisms regulating the immune response and seek to develop innovative strategies based on these observations to optimize current immunotherapies such as CAR-T cells.

Since the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) into the anticancer therapeutic arsenal in 2011, these treatments have transformed the management of certain cancers, notably metastatic melanoma. However, their effectiveness remains limited to a subset of patients. At the same time, adoptive cell therapy strategies, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) transfer or CAR T-cell therapy, have shown promising efficacy, leading to FDA approval of this approach for patients with therapeutic impasses. Improving these therapies involves, in particular, exploring new intracellular targets. Intracellular immune checkpoints (iICP), which inhibit TCR signaling within T lymphocytes, represent an emerging family of key regulators of immune regulation. Unlike membrane checkpoints, iICPs cannot be blocked by antibodies but can be inhibited through gene editing, notably via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. However, their expression in TILs derived from different tumor types remains poorly documented, as does the impact of their inhibition on T lymphocyte functionality.

The project led by the recruited individual aims to screen the iICPs expressed in TILs derived from melanoma and colorectal cancer. The TILs will be obtained from tumor samples collected through collaborations with the hospitals of Besançon and Nantes. The most relevant iICPs will then be knocked out using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Finally, the functional impact of this knockout will be evaluated in vitro by co-culturing the modified TILs/CAR T cells with tumor cell lines to assess their therapeutic potential in the context of optimized adoptive cell therapy.

In this framework, we are recruiting a collaborator specialized in immunology who will undertake a PhD on this topic within the TICI research team at RIGHT under the supervision of Prof. Yann Godet.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Genetic modification of T lymphocytes
• Culture of primary human cells and cell lines
• Flow cytometry
• RT-qPCR
• Cell sorting
• Oral presentation
• Scientific writing

The following skills are not mandatory but would be an asset for candidates:

• Western Blot
• Bioinformatics

English at least B2 in mandatory

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Internal Application form(s) needed