Postdoctoral fellowship in nanosciences and biomedical innovation
Project description
The proposed post-doctoral position is part of the CaDoRNA research project funded by the National Research Agency. This project aims to design, synthesize and evaluate the biological activity of carbon dots (CDs) allowing light-controlled delivery of siRNA, associated with photodynamic therapy. CDs are carbonaceous nanoparticles which possess exceptional properties: ease of synthesis and functionalization from widely available raw materials, nanometric size, chemical stability, high solubility/dispersibility in water, and intrinsic fluorescence allowing their monitoring in the cell by imaging. Furthermore, they have been described very recently as potent nucleic acid delivery agents in vitro and in vivo. The CDs that will be developed as part of the CaDoRNA project will be doped by a photosensitizer and decorated on the surface by cationic species via a chemical bond sensitive to singlet oxygen. Thus, they will act as siRNA vectors, thanks to their cationic charges allowing the nucleic acid to be complexed, and will produce under light irradiation, thanks to the photosensitizer, singlet oxygen which will allow precise spatio-temporal release of the siRNA but also photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Missions of the post-doctoral fellow
The post-doctoral fellow will be responsible for evaluating the biological activity of the CDs produced by the chemists of the team, in collaboration with a doctoral student. This will involve studying the cellular internalization and distribution of CDs/siRNA complexes, as well as the intracellular dissociation of these complexes in cells under irradiation, in connection with the effectiveness of transfection of the complexes. The implementation of this work will mainly use cell culture techniques, fluorescence imaging (confocal and epifluorescence), and flow cytometry.
Qualifications and skills required
- Research training in cell biology and knowledge of the issues of delivery of therapeutic active ingredients assisted by nanoparticles at the cellular scale.
- Skills in cell culture, cellular fluorescence imaging (confocal and epifluorescence), quantitative image analysis, flow cytometry.
- Soft skills: dynamism, commitment and seriousness, sense of organization, autonomy and initiative, ability to work in a team and communicate.
Position identification
- Full-time fixed-term contract of 18 months.
- Expected date of employment: 2025/02/15.
- Workplace: Smart nanoparticles Team, Laboratory of Synthetic and Therapeutic Chemo-biology, UMR 7199 CNRS-Unistra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Illkirch, France.
- Desired level of study and experience: PhD with post-doctoral experience < 2 years.
Contact and application details
- Contact: Pr Françoise Pons, co-head of the Smart nanoparticles Team.
- Application details: CV and motivation letter sent by email at the latest on 2025/01/15.
