JOB DESCRIPTION
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented individual to join our research group as a Postdoctoral Fellow. The selected PhD in biology (immunology and/or bacteriology sciences), with skills in in vivo models (ideally in respiratory infections), will work with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and in a collaborative environment (European Grant H2020-FAIR).
The candidate will apply his/her expertise to develop and select an efficient combination of therapeutics able to eliminate respiratory bacterial infection. Mouse models mimicking clinically relevant conditions of host susceptibility to antibiotic-resistant bacteria will be used to assess the effectiveness of therapeutic combinations. The outcome of infection and treatment will be determined overtime by analyzing bacterial clearance, inflammation, and immune response.
The candidate will already have significant training and skills in in vivo model of respiratory infections. The successful candidate should also have a strong background in immunology and/or bacteriology, and an interest in drug therapeutics. This person will enjoy working collaboratively, and should have the ability to independently design and execute experiments. He/she will be in charge of experiment design, experiment implementation, scientific report and communications.
Requirements
- A Ph.D. preferably in immunology and/or bacteriology sciences
- Experience with in vivo experimentation
- Skills in respiratory infection model are desired
- Track record of innovative research and scientific publications/patents
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal and oral communication skills
- An ability to be productive and successful in an intense work environment
- Oral and written English skills are required
- Experience of working through confidentiality would be valuable
15 months postdoctoral position - Good salary offered.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Currently, respiratory tract infections represent the third leading cause of death worldwide (about 3 million deaths per year). Bacterial pneumonia (either community- or hospital-acquired) is a leading cause of morbidity, quality-adjusted life year loss, and mortality in children, adults, and the elderly. In Europe, pneumonia costs €10 billion each year. Although antibiotics have transformed the management and treatment of bacterial pneumonia, their effectiveness is declining - because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that bacterial infections due to AMR will outcompete any cause of death by 2050, meaning that it is crucial to develop new strategies to improve antibacterial treatment. In 2017, the WHO defined a priority list of bacteria for which new antibacterial therapies are urgently needed; it includes the major pneumonia-causing pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumonia.
The FAIR project (European grant H2020 - call SC1-BHC-14-2019) proposes a unique approach: aerosol delivery of an immunomodulatory protein (by nebulization), achieving direct release into the airways, prompting innate immunity activation in the lungs (i.e. the site of pneumonia) and preventing unwanted systemic immune activation.
Workpackage 3 is addressing the preclinical evaluation of therapeutic combinations in different mice infection models, by analyzing (i) bacterial clearance in mucosal and systemic sites using plating assays (and/or real-time imaging of bacteria), (ii) tissue repair/resolution of inflammation (mucosal architecture using histopathology, lung permeability, and inflammation markers via qRT-PCR), and (iii) PK/PD of therapeutics.
JOB ENVIRONMENT
Team 1 “Respiratory infection and immunity” of CEPR/INSERM U1100 is affiliated with INSERM (French institute of biomedical research) and the Faculty of Medicine of Tours, France. It is a multidisciplinary team, is specialized in (i) “anti-infective immunity” by investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the interaction between host and pathogens in the lung mucosa; and (ii) “new antimicrobial strategies”, especially concerning Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its antibiotic-resistance mechanisms.
Other teams of INSERM U1100 deals with biochemistry and health-technology. Please visit our website, https://cepr.inserm.univ-tours.fr/the-center for more information.
The project is included in a research grant program “FAIR” gathering European teams and coordinated by J.C Sirard, Inserm, Lille, France.
Envisaged start date:
2021-01-01
Please send your cover letter and resume to:
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Team 1 “Respiratory infection and immunity”
Research Centre for Respiratory Diseases (CEPR), INSERM U1100
Faculty of Medicine, Tours - France
