Postdoctoral Researcher – Species-Specific ADAT Function in Cortical Development

About this position

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the “Physiological and Pathological Mechanisms of Cortical Development” team led by Dr. Juliette Godin at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg, France. The Godin lab is a recognized expert in translational control during cortical development. The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Efil Bayam (CRCN Inserm), in the framework of the ANR-funded project SpeaDAT, which investigates the species-specific mechanisms of ADAT tRNA deaminase complex dysfunction in brain development.

The postdoctoral researcher will study species-specific ADAT functions in progenitors and neurons and characterize impact of ADAT dysfunction on tRNAs and translational programs using human iPSC- and mouse ESCs -derived models, including 2D cortical neural stem cells/neurons and 3D cortical organoids carrying ADAT2 and ADAT3 pathogenic variants. This 30-month position is well suited to a recently graduated PhD experienced with human iPSC culture and/or 2D/3D neural differentiation protocols.

The candidate will generate and characterize human iPSC-derived 2D cortical neural stem cells, neurons and 3D cortical organoids carrying ADAT2 and ADAT3 pathogenic variants, assess cellular phenotypes (proliferation, cell cycle dynamics, progenitor identity, neuronal maturation and synaptic integration) using immunofluorescence, EdU/pulse-chase labeling and functional assays (MEA, calcium imaging) and analyze and interpret human mim-tRNA-seq and ribosome profiling data to characterize species-specific tRNA and translational programs in close collaboration with a bioinformatician.

Present research findings at team and consortium meetings and at national/international conferences, contribute to manuscript writing and to project reporting; contribute to the supervision of students.