Contract Researcher in Structural Biology (M/F)

General Information

• Duration: 1 year, renewable once
• Start date: January 1, 2027
• Working hours: Full-time
• Salary: €4,208.37 gross per month (including employer contributions), depending on experience (2 to 7 years)

Desired experience: 2–3 years

Job Description

The aim of this position is to decipher, at the molecular level, the assembly mechanisms of RNA–protein particles, using C/D-box and H/ACA-box snoRNPs as model systems.

Responsibilities and Activities

Defects in the assembly of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles can lead to severe human diseases. It is therefore essential to gain a precise understanding of how these particles are produced within cells.

The research project associated with this position focuses on the structural study of the biogenesis of C/D-box and H/ACA-box snoRNPs, which catalyse the 2′-O-methylation of ribose residues and the conversion of uridine into pseudouridine, respectively, in ribosomal and transfer RNAs. Functional studies will be conducted in collaboration with other members of the research group.

The successful candidate will investigate the different stages of C/D-box and H/ACA-box snoRNP biogenesis using a range of molecular biology, biochemical, biophysical and structural biology techniques.

The project will be carried out in close collaboration with the other teams involved in the ANR YMCR consortium.

We offer an advanced technological environment with state-of-the-art equipment for integrated structural biology, including:

• A 600 MHz Bruker NMR spectrometer equipped with a TCI cryoprobe (¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N).
• High-throughput screening robots (Mosquito and TECAN).
• A Bruker X8 Proteum X-ray diffractometer.
• A 200 kV cryogenic transmission electron microscope (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Glacios v2).
• Standard biophysical equipment, including ITC, DLS, CD and SPR.

Required Qualifications and Skills

The candidate must hold a PhD in molecular biology and structural biology.

They should have excellent knowledge of:

• RNA biology.
• Protein biochemistry.
• Biophysics of molecular interactions.
• Structural biology.

Strong hands-on experience with modern techniques in the following fields is essential:

• Molecular biology: RNA handling, cell culture and transfection.
• Biochemistry: Co-expression, purification using immunoprecipitation (IP), immobilised metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and size-exclusion chromatography.
• Structural biology: NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Specific expertise in cryo-EM is essential, including image processing using CryoSPARC and RELION software for single-particle analysis (SPA).

The candidate should be highly motivated, sociable, rigorous and capable of conducting independent research.

Application Procedure

Candidates must apply through the CNRS job portal (https://emploi.cnrs.fr/).

Applicants should submit:

• A cover letter describing their research interests and motivation.
• A CV.
• The names and email addresses of at least two academic or professional referees.

Applications can also be sent to: xavier.manival@univ-lorraine.fr

Working Environment

The IMoPA laboratory is a joint research unit of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Lorraine (UMR 7365), located in Nancy, France.

For further information, please visit : imopa.univ-lorraine.fr

The laboratory is part of the Biology, Medicine and Health (BMS) research cluster (bms.univ-lorraine.fr) and is located on the Biologie-Santé campus, in the Biopôle building.

The successful candidate will join the research group led by Xavier Manival, which is part of the RNA/RNP team at IMoPA. The group is part of a dynamic research environment focused on the structure–function relationships of RNA and RNPs.

The team’s overall research aims to provide functional and structural insights into the assembly of non-coding RNPs in cells, investigate the factors involved in these processes and study the cellular consequences of assembly defects.

The contract research position is funded by two French National Research Agency (ANR) projects: YMCR (1 year, CNRS) and HACA (1 year, University of Lorraine). The position is part of a collaborative project involving four other national and international research laboratories.

Constraints and Risks

The cryo-electron microscope is located at the Jean Lamour Institute, approximately a 10-minute drive from the Biopôle building.

Additional Information

The laboratory intends to support the successful candidate in applying for a CNRS permanent Research Scientist position (Chargé de Recherche), within Section 22 of the CNRS.