Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM) is a biomedical research center located on the Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades campus. It benefits from numerous state-of-the-art core facilities. The Campus has a long-standing reputation for scientific excellence and key pioneering medical contributions (transplantation, biotherapy, gene therapy). It provides a vibrant environment for basic research and translational innovation.

The host laboratory

The host team - Immune pathways in autoimmune disorders (Peter van Endert) is dedicated to investigating cellular and metabolic control of TLR activation, MHC class I cross-presentation, and the regulation of beta cell-directed autoimmunity by antimicrobial peptides and intrinsic beta cell responses.

The project

The goal of this project is to study trafficking pathways of MHC class I molecules involved in cross-presentation of antigens and priming of CD8+ T lymphocytes. The laboratory has adopted novel cell biological tools including the RUSH system and the SpyCatcher-Spytag system to study MHC class I trafficking, which it combines with a variety of assays for the study of cross-presentation. The project involves cell biological (confocal and live microscopy, genetic manipulation of trafficking proteins) and cellular immunology (antigen presentation assays, flow cytometry) assays.

The project will be developed in a collaboration with the laboratory of Prof. Sebastian Springer at the Jacobs University in Bremen (Germany).

Your profile

We are searching for a colleague who is ambitious, energetic, creative, intellectually curious, and self-reliant. You should thrive in an interdisciplinary and international environment and excel as a team player. We anticipate that you will take the initiative to shape the project, show eagerness to acquire new methods, and be open to collaborating with both internal and external partners.

International candidates with a PhD in cell biology, biochemistry, immunology, or similar, and with at least one first-author publication in an international peer-reviewed journal, are encouraged to apply. Fluency in English, both written and spoken is required.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Laboratory research in the context of the project, occasionally work with and possible at the site of our collaborators.
• Independent literature study and resulting creative project management.
• Preparation of publications. 

The position is funded for up to three years through a binational ANR-DFG grant, with an earliest start date on April 1, 2024. 

How to apply

If you possess these attributes and enjoy working with motivated and committed people, we would welcome speaking with you and encourage you to apply today.

We ask you to submit:

• A cover letter describing your research interests, experience, and how you might contribute to our research team.
• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae.
• Contact details of at least two referees with good knowledge of the applicant.

Please send your application to Peter van Endert: @email. Applications will be considered upon submission.