Research Engineer (M/F) - Characterizing aging of the intestine in reef fish

CNRS; France; Sur place; EUR 35 000 - 45 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A national research organization in France is seeking a highly motivated Research Engineer to explore the microbiota–gut–aging axis in clownfish. The position requires expertise in the biology of aging, cellular techniques, and proficiency in English. The role involves quantifying cellular biomarkers and integrating multi-omic datasets. Candidates with a PhD and relevant practical experience are encouraged to apply for this innovative research opportunity.

Qualifications

• Experience with barrier integrity and immune cell markers.
• Familiarity with multi-omic integration and data curation.

Responsabilités

• Quantify biomarkers of intestinal aging.
• Perform tissue phenotyping and quantification of degeneration.
• Integrate microbiome/metabolome datasets.

Connaissances

Solid background in the biology of aging

Practical mastery of multiplex IHC/IF

Skills in image analysis (ImageJ/Fiji)

Excellent English skills

Formation

PhD or equivalent

Outils

Western blot

RT-qPCR

Telomeric Southern blot

Description du poste

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement, Nice Research Field Biological sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Country France Application Deadline 4 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 15 Nov 2025 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 position is part of ANR 2025 GUTPOWER, which explores the microbiota–gut–aging axis in a reef fish (clownfish) using coordinated ecological, cellular, and omics approaches. The postdoctoral researcher will be required to quantify cellular and molecular biomarkers of intestinal aging: tissue degeneration, DNA damage response (DDR), senescence, barrier integrity, inflammation, and telomere length, and integrate them with the microbiome/metabolome datasets generated by our collaborators; ensure timely delivery to meet network/dynamic modeling needs.

1. Tissue phenotyping: histology on paraffin sections of intestine and distant tissues at different stages of life; quantification of degeneration, p53, DNA damage, proliferation, and senescence.
2. Markers of aging & inflammation: SA-β-Gal, p16, p21; intestinal barrier integrity (claudin-2, ZO1, smurf assay); pro-inflammatory transcripts (tnfα, il6, il1β, ifn1, isg15) by RT-qPCR/RNA.
3. DNA damage & immune infiltration: IF/IHC panels for γH2AX, 53BP1 (damage), PCNA (proliferation), L-plastin/Mpx (immune cells); quantitative image analysis (ImageJ).
4. Telomere biology: TRF Southern blot (all age groups) to derive a telomere-based longevity/biological age index.
5. p53/ATM-Chk2 signaling: Western blot profiles and phospho status according to established protocols.

The project builds directly on our previous work in zebrafish, where we established the telomerase-deficient premature aging model and showed that short telomeres in key tissues initiate local and systemic aging (Carneiro et al., PLoS Genetics 2016). We also demonstrated that intestine-specific re-expression of telomerase counteracts systemic aging, and clarified the p53/DDR signatures associated with telomere damage (El Maï & Ferreira, Nature Aging 2023). These findings and protocols (histology/IHC-IF for DDR and senescence, inflammatory readings, telomere length measurement) constitute the conceptual and methodological reference for clownfish, enabling inter-species comparison of intestinal aging biomarkers and their microbial correlates.

We are looking for a highly motivated Research Engineer (preferably with a PhD) who is keen to integrate knowledge ranging from molecular and cellular biology to the biology of aging. Specifically:

• Solid background in the biology of aging (focus on the intestine appreciated), DDR, senescence, and inflammation.
• Practical mastery of at least two techniques: multiplex IHC/IF, histopathology, Western blot, RT-qPCR, telomeric Southern blot.
• Skills in image analysis (ImageJ/Fiji) and statistics.
• Rigorous SOP-driven practice (traceability of reagents/antibodies, documentation).
• Excellent English skills.
• Experience with barrier integrity markers (e.g., claudin-2, ZO1, smurf assay) and immune cell markers (L-plastin, Mpx).
• Familiarity with first-level multi-omic integration (metatranscriptomics, metabolomics) and data curation for modeling.
• Experience with teleost tissues (especially zebrafish) is appreciated but not required.

Additional comments

• CV (methods mastered, publications; ORCID/Google Scholar links)
• Cover letter (≤2 pages) detailing fit with MGF-lab
• Two referees (email and phone)
• Availability and preferred start date

Scientific contact: Dr Miguel Godinho Ferreira — IRCAN, Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS (contact email to be provided for the emploi.cnrs.fr posting).