Postdoctoral researcher (M/F) in bioanalytical chemistry and chemobiology : development of VOC-based probes for disease diagnosis and prognosis

26 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

CNRS

Department

Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers

Research Field

History
Anthropology
Environmental science

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

France

Application Deadline

15 Jun 2024 - 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Offer Starting Date

1 Sep 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Chemical biology affords us many creatively designed tools to monitor metabolic processes in biological systems. Within this framework, smart off–on imaging probes have substantially enhanced our understanding of how live cells function. By imaging a wide range of species — from trace ions to protein complexes — with high spatial resolution, these bioorthogonal tools can inform on cellular injuries even inside deep tissues (> 1 mm). Therefore, they have offered considerable improvements in disease diagnosis and prognosis. However, their use in mammalian models is limited due to their toxicity, limited stability and hurdles related to their pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution.
In this context, off-on probes that can be converted into a small exogenous volatile molecule could represent efficient tracers and provide an initial snapshot of pathophysiological events in the human body. This very recent research field,so-called “induced volatolomics” has emerged within the volatolomics area. This approach relies on monitoring exogenous volatiles generated by the metabolism of an exogenous probe.
The objective of this project is to propose an emergent toolbox that relies on a cocktail of labelled VOC-based probes developed to diagnose and monitor pathophysiological events within a body.
In this pilot project, our cocktail will target glycosidases, proteases, or oxydoreductases, that play key roles in many biological events, such as inflammation or infection. Once metabolized, the probes release exogenous VOCs that will be used as chemical tracers of the biochemical activities related to pathological processes. With these probes in hand, we envisage to screen enzymatic biomarkers at the molecular, cellular, tissular and organismal scale.
By this way, we expect our probes becoming a new biotechnology to explore metabolic reactions and scale cellular processes in response to a pathophysiological disorder. In this way, probes could serve as companion tools for the implementation of personalised drug therapy.
In the CNRS, the PhD student will carry out his research within the IC2MP, in the "E-BiCoM" team. His/her research work will be part of the research program of the “Biomarkers; Study of metabolic processes in living systems” group and will be placed under the responsibility of the group manager. The missions of the research project will be :
- to develop and study the efficiency of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)-based probes to detect and monitor specific metabolic processes related to infection or inflammation,
- to imagine and test new VOC-based probes or derivatives to highlight specific processes in cancer cells, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, circulating tumor cells, bacteria- or virus-infected cells and inflammatory cells (in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo assays, and clinical trials).

The postdoctoral fellow will:
- carry out in vivo (animal) and clinical (blood plasma, biopsies) studies
- perform in vitro (cell culture) tests to assess the suitability of probes for exploring specific metabolic processes in different cell phenotypes

This research project will be carried out in the Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP). The IC2MP is an interdisciplinary research laboratory hosted by the CNRS and the University of Poitiers. (https://ic2mp.labo.univ-poitiers.fr/ )

Requirements

Research Field

History

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Anthropology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Environmental science

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Languages

FRENCH

Level

Basic

Research Field

History

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Anthropology

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Research Field

Environmental science

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Additional Information
Eligibility criteria

The candidate must have a Master 2 in either analytical chemistry, proteomics, metabolomics, or biochemistry.
Knowledge are recommended for :
- GC-MS analysis of VOCs
- LC-MS analysis of proteins
- Molecular and metabolic biochemistry
- Enzymology
- Cell culture
- Animal experiments
- Editorial quality, ability to publish and promote research work
- Aptitude for teamwork and supervision of trainees
- Good English

Website for additional job details

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7285-CARNOE-038/Default.aspx

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers

Country

France

City

POITIERS

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Candidat/Offre/UMR7285-CARNOE-038/Candidater.aspx

Contact

City

POITIERS

Website

http://ic2mp.labo.univ-poitiers.fr/

STATUS: EXPIRED