Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
Offer Description
Analysing and building of plant cell walls in the context of plant parasitism
A post-doctoral position is available for up to 12 months renewed from January 2027 within the Checkpoint Cell Wall project funded by the Human Science Frontiers Program. The project brings together 4 groups from Tromso and Bergen (Norway), St. Louis (USA) and Grenoble to decipher how parasite plants invade the stems of their hosts.
Invasive cells penetrate and grow withing another organism by establishing new interfaces. For plants, this involves the cell wall which normally fulfil protective role but can be turn into a weapon at the heart of parasite's infection strategy. The project will focus on the interface between parasitic dodders (Cuscuta) and wild tobacco (Nicotiana benthamania) by analyzing, manipulating and modelling cell walls to recreate the intrusive cells and their interfaces.
The glycan composition of cell walls from both parasite and host will be analyzed on the chromatography platform of CERMAV. Based on the group expertise on glycan binding proteins (enzymes, Lectins, carbohydrate binding modules called CBMs …), novel fluorescent probes with high specificity for different cell wall oligosaccharide epitopes will be designed for high resolution microscopy. These probes will be engineered by associating lectins and CBMs through molecular biology approach, characterizing the resulting proteins by biophysical methods, and labeling them with fluorophore by chemobiology. Artificial plant cell walls will be produced by nano-engineering of lipids, polysaccharides and proteins in the form of supported bilayer and giant unilamellar vesicles.
CERMAV (CEntre de Recherche sur la MAcromolécule Végétales) at CNRS-Université Grenoble Alpes, is a basic research laboratory on glycosciences. The multidisciplinary approach at CERMAV covers the specialties of chemistry, material science, physicochemistry and biology. The team "Structural and Molecular Glycobiology", in which the project will be conducted, studies lectins and carbohydrate-acting enzymes. The team includes about 15 people working on recombinant proteins from their identification to the biochemical, biophysical and structural characterizations of their interaction with carbohydrates. The project is under the supervision of Dr Anne Imberty & Annabelle Varrot.
The Checkpoint Cell Wall project, funded by HSFP is coordinated by Prof Kirsten Krause of Artic University of Norway (Tromso) and also involves research groups at St Louis (USA) and Bergen (Norway). The project involves scientific exchange and travelling between the groups.
Where to apply
Website: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UPR5301-ALLMAR-011/Default.aspx
Requirements
- Research Field: Chemistry; Education Level: PhD or equivalent
- Research Field: Physics; Education Level: PhD or equivalent
- Research Field: Physics; Education Level: PhD or equivalent
- Languages: FRENCH; Level: Basic
- Research Field: Chemistry; Years of Research Experience: None
- Research Field: Physics » Chemical physics; Years of Research Experience: None
- Research Field: Physics » Biophysics; Years of Research Experience: None
Additional Information
Eligibility criteria
- PhD in biochemistry, biotechnology, or chemistry/biology with a strong expertise in biochemistry.
- Knowledge and interest in polysaccharide analysis, protein engineering and/or glycobiology would be an asset.
- Ability to work independently and in collaborative.
- Motivated, organized individual with good writing skills.
- English level IELST 7 or B2
Website for additional job details: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UPR5301-ALLMAR-011/Default.aspx
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: Centre de recherches sur les macromolécules végétales
- Country: France
- City: GRENOBLE
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