Post-doctoral fellow in cancer metabolism

EURAXESS Czech Republic; Nice; Sur place; EUR 32 000 - 39 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Group health insurance

Retirement plan

Transport reimbursement

Cafeteria on site

Résumé du poste

Inserm, Centre Méditerréen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M) in Nice, France, invites applications for a full-time postdoctoral position within the Metabolism, Cancer and Immune Responses team. The project investigates metabolic adaptations in cancer, focusing on ASNase-induced stress and resistance, using in vitro and in vivo models.

The successful candidate will lead independent projects, employ advanced cancer biology methods, and collaborate across Lyon and Paris.

Qualifications

• PhD in cancer biology or metabolism or in final stages of PhD.
• Robust knowledge in cancer biology and metabolism.
• Technical expertise in cell biology, molecular biology, metabolism.

Responsabilités

• Refine and develop research objectives with project leaders.
• Develop and establish innovative biochemical approaches and in vivo experiments.
• Analyze and interpret data to generate mechanistic insights.
• Communicate data and organize meetings with leaders and participants.
• Present findings in English at conferences and seminars.
• Develop national/international collaborations.
• Write reports and publications in English.
• Contribute to laboratory responsibilities and maintain a collaborative environment.

Connaissances

Molecular biology

Cell culture

Biochemistry and cancer metabolism

Flow cytometry

Omics data analysis

Scientific communication

English communication

Formation

PhD or equivalent

Outils

Retroviral vectors cloning

RT-qPCR

Western blotting

Immunofluorescence

Subcellular fractionation

Metabolomics

Stable-isotope tracing

RNA-seq data analysis

MetaboAnalyst

Description du poste

Organisation/Company INSERM Department U1065 Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38h30 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

This is a full-time, fixed-term three-year postdoctoral position, offered under Inserm terms and conditions of employment.

The research team

«Metabolism, Cancer and immune responses», led by Jean-Ehrland Ricci is based at the Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M), Inserm U1065, in Nice, France ( https://www.c3m-nice.fr/equipes/equipe-03/ ). The team is a highly interactive group comprising PhD students, engineers, research scientists and clinicians.

Our research focuses on understanding the metabolic adaptations that drive cancer development and progression, with the aim of identifying metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapeutic intervention. We are particularly interested in the interplay between cancer metabolism and nutritional stress imposed by the tumor microenvironment, in the context of highly aggressive hematological malignancies. The team offers a stimulating and collaborative research environment, with strong expertise in cancer biology, metabolism and immunology, and close interactions among researchers with complementary backgrounds.

Project scientific context and summary

This project will investigate how nutritional stress-induced by the chemotherapeutic agentL-asparaginase (ASNase) rewires tumor metabolism in several subcellular compartments and promotes DNA damage and therapeutic resistancein malignant B cells. Using a validatedB-cell lymphoma model of secondary ASNase resistance, the researcher will explore metabolic alterations acrossmitochondria, cytosol, and nucleus. The project will first aim to determine how ASNase inducesoxidative stress and redox imbalance.The researcher will also investigate how ASNase-induced metabolic perturbations affectDNA damage, replication stress, and DNA repair pathways. A combination ofgenetic and pharmacological approaches, confocal imaging, flow cytometry, metabolic assays, metabolomics, proteomics, and stable-isotope tracingwill be used. Compartment-specific analyses ofmitochondrial and nuclear metabolismwill uncover previously unrecognized metabolic adaptations to ASNase treatment. The functional relevance of candidate pathways will be validated both in vitro and in vivo . The project offers an exciting opportunity to work at the interface ofcancer metabolism, mitochondrial biology, DNA repair, metabolomics, and therapeutic resistance.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of an INCa PLBIO-funded project, conducted in close collaboration with academic partners in Lyon and Paris.

Missions

- Torefine and develop research objectivesin interaction with the project leaders, contributing to the scientific direction of the project.

- Toindependently and activelydevelop and establish innovative biochemical approaches and experimental methodologies,and to design, plan and conduct rigorous in vitro and in vivo experiments using state-of-the-art approaches in cancer biology and metabolism.

- Toanalyze, interpret and integrate experimental datato generate mechanistic insights and guide the development of the research project.

- To communicate data and organize meetings with project leaders and participants.

- Topresent and discuss research findingsin Englishat national and international conferences, scientific meetings and internal seminars.

- To develop national, international collaborations to develop the research projects with experts in the field.

- To write reports and original publications (in English)

- To contribute tocollective laboratory responsibilities, fostering a stimulating, collaborative and well-organized research environment.

Requirements

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• Molecular biology:cloning and manipulation of retroviral vectors for overexpression or shRNA; RT-qPCR.
• Cell culture and functional assays:analysis of cellular responses, adaptation and cell fate following exposure to chemotherapeutic agents, using both suspension and adherent cultures of established cell lines and/or primary samples; establishment and characterization of genetically engineered cell models; pharmacological approaches.
• Biochemistry and cancer metabolism:characterization of cellular stress signaling pathways, metabolic adaptations, and treatment-induced DNA damage and repair mechanisms usingWestern blotting, immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation, metabolomics and stable-isotope tracing.
• Flow cytometry: analysis of cellular phenotypes, proliferation, cell cycle, viability and cell death, metabolic parameters.
• Omics data analysis:processing, analysis and interpretation ofRNA-seq and metabolomics datasets, including experience withMetaboAnalyst.
• Scientific research and communication:independent analysis and interpretation of experimental data; rigorous experimental documentation and maintenance of an electronic laboratory notebook; and presentation of research findings at team meetings, seminars and national/international scientific conferences.
• English: excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to contribute to scientific manuscripts and present research findings in an international environment.

Specific Requirements

We need dedicated, ambitious and collaborative scientists with previous experience in metabolism and cancer cell biology and metabolism. Postdoctoral Training Fellows are expected to lead their own projects. The ability to work in a team is essential.

• - PhD in cancer biology or metabolism or in the final stages of PhD submission
• - Robust knowledge and experience in cancer biology and metabolism
• - Technical expertise in cell biology, molecular biology, metabolism and cancer.

- Track record of writing papers as evidence of publications or submitted manuscripts in referred journals

- Evidence of data presentation in English at scientific meetings

• - Experience of experimental design
• - Technical metabolomics expertise
• - Ability to work independently and capable of interacting within a group
• - Proficiency in research with mouse models

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Languages FRENCH Level Basic

Research Field Biological sciences » Biology Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

Salary according to experiences or 35268 euros per year taxes included (2939 euros gross per month).

Mandatory group health insurance with the employer covering 50% of the basic plan and 50% of optional coverage, up to a maximum of €5.

Optional group retirement plan with the employer contributing €7 toward the basic plan.

Partial reimbursement of public transportation costs

Company cafeteria with employer contribution

Eligibility criteria

- Candidates who haverecently obtained their PhD i n cancer biology and metabolism and are looking to start their first postdoctoral position.

- Candidatesin the final stages of PhD submission.

Additional comments

PhD in cancer biology.

Knowledge and competence in cancer metabolism are highly recommended.

Certification in animal experimentation is preferred but not required.