Project

In cancer cells, perturbations of the vesicular trafficking frequently occur and impact on proteins involved in signaling, adhesion and extracellular matrix remodeling, favoring the acquisition of an invasive cellular behavior leading to metastasis formation. It is crucial to identify the molecular mechanisms whose deregulation leads to such perturbations of the vesicular trafficking.

Our team is interested by the role of two proteins named flotillins 1 and 2 that are overexpressed in many invasive carcinoma and sarcoma. We showed that upregulation of flotillins is sufficient to alter membrane remodeling and vesicular trafficking of several proteins cargos then promoting cellular invasion (Planchon et al. J Cell Science 2018). The aim of our project is to decipher the molecular mechanisms through which upregulated-flotillins deregulate the vesicular trafficking in invasive cancer cells.

Our website: http://www.crbm.cnrs.fr/en/team/adhesion-and-vesicular-trafficking-in-tumoral-invasion/

Our team is located at the Montpellier Cell Biology Research Center (CRBM) offering an excellent scientific environment and access to the onsite imaging platform with cutting edge microscopy techniques essential for the success of our project.

 

Candidate profile

We are recruiting a motivated engineer for one year asap. The successful candidate should have skills in cell biology (classical transfections, siRNA, immunofluorescence staining), in biochemistry (western blots, immuoprecipitations …) and most importantly a good expertise in fluorescent microscopy techniques (Widefield, confocal, spinning disk) on fixed and living cells as well as on image analysis (Metamorph, Image J). A background in vesicular trafficking and signaling will be appreciated.

Motivated applicants should send their CV, details of two/three referees and a cover letter to : cecile.gauthier@crbm.cnrs.fr