Project: We are looking for a highly motivated post-doc interested in molecular and cellular membrane biology. The research will focus on the study of lipid transport pathways at membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and endolysosomal compartments, more specifically lamellar bodies (LBs), which are responsible for pulmonary surfactant biogenesis in alveolar epithelial type-II cells. The project will identify and study the lipids transported and proteins involved in this pathway, and decipher their functional implications in surfactant lipid homeostasis. We will explore how MCS modulates LBs organization, and in turn, how LB maturation influences MCS dynamics. The project will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Bruno Mesmin at IPMC (Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7275, Inserm U1323).
Expertise: Organelle biology and lipid metabolism. Advanced skills in molecular biology (cloning, CRISPR), light microscopy (widefield, confocal) and biochemistry (protein purification, organelle fractionation, fluorescence spectroscopy). Expertise in cell culture and biochemical techniques.
Other skills: Highly motivated, hard-working and willing to cooperate in an interdisciplinary and diverse research environment. Fluent English.
Support and duration: The project is funded by a grant from the Agence National de la Recherche (ANR) and covers one year of salary, renewable twice (determined on the basis of CNRS rates).
The team: Our team “Dynamique des Membranes Lipidiques” has strong expertise in membrane and organelle biology. The team is equipped for protein/lipid biochemistry as well as for cell biology and computational biology. This includes, cell culture, imaging systems, protein and lipid chromatography (FPLC, HPTLC), various spectrophotometers (UV-visible, CD, fluorimeters) and computers for molecular dynamics. The IPMC institute includes various state-of the art facilities for cell imaging (confocal, STED), mass spectrometry (lipidomics, proteomics) and genomics. Our team provide a dynamic and interactive research environment, excellent working and training conditions, and close collaboration with national and international project partners.
Recent publications:
- Jézéquel G, et al. Minimalist Natural ORPphilin Macarangin B Delineates OSBP Biological Function. J Med Chem. 2024
- Kovács D, et al. Lipid exchange at ER-trans-Golgi contact sites governs polarized cargo sorting. J Cell Biol. 2024
- Subra M, et al. VAP-A intrinsically disordered regions enable versatile tethering at membrane contact sites. Dev Cell. 2023
- de la Mora E, et al. Nanoscale architecture of a VAP-A-OSBP tethering complex at membrane contact sites. Nat Commun. 2021
- Péresse T, et al. Molecular and cellular dissection of the oxysterol-binding protein cycle through a fluorescent inhibitor. J Biol Chem. 2020
- Jamecna D, et al. An Intrinsically Disordered Region in OSBP Acts as an Entropic Barrier to Control Protein Dynamics and Orientation at Membrane Contact Sites. Dev Cell. 2019
- Mesmin B, et al. Sterol transfer, PI4P consumption, and control of membrane lipid order by endogenous OSBP. EMBO J. 2017
