Joint Curie-ENS Postdoc position on the Physics of repair and silencing foci

The nucleus of eukaryotic cells contains sub-compartments that are not membrane-enclosed but yet concentrate specific factors forming microenvironment that favor or impede particular activities. However, the physical parameters driving their formation and maintenance remain unclear. This project aims to build physical models of these compartments based on recent microscopy observations obtained at the single molecule level in living budding yeast cells. We will use cutting edge single molecule microscopy data (PALM, single particle tracking) already generated from two kinds of nuclear compartments: i) repair foci, formed at the site of a DNA double strand break, and ii) silencing foci, corresponding to chromatin-repressed regions. The project involves building non-equilibrium statistical mechanics models and inference methods to analyse single cell tracking experiments. We propose to test several models, including the potential liquid droplet nature of these foci. Overall, by combining single particle tracking data with a model approach, we will shed new light on the nature of repair and silencing foci.

The project is in collaboration between theorists at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Thierry Mora and Aleksandra Walczak) and experimentalists at the Curie Institute: Judith Miné-Hattab and Angela Taddei. We offer an 18-months founded post-doc contract and will support the candidate for post-doc grants applications (EMBO, Marie Curie, HFSP, etc).

Profile and expertise

We invite applications from highly motivated and dynamic individuals holding, or shortly expecting to be awarded, a PhD degree. Proven research skills (publication track), good communication skills (in English) and interdisciplinarity are essential.

Expertise:

  • Numerical and theoretical skills
  • Analyzing real data
  • Strong interest in cell biology
  • Organization, responsibility and good communication skills are required to work both with theorists and experimentalists

Interested candidates should send their CV including a publication list, the names of people who can provide letters of reference, and a short letter about their past experiences and motivation for this project, to Thierry Mora, Aleksandra Walczak, Judith Mine, and Angela Taddei.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 15th 2018. Applications received before the deadline will be given priority.