Researcher: Stretching and compression on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition under stress

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Unité de biologie moléculaire, cellulaire et du développement Research Field Chemistry Physics » Biophysics Biological sciences » Biological engineering Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 2 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The goal of this project is to explore the effects of mechanical forces on the cell nucleus during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a critical cellular process that occurs in both physiological and cancerous contexts. The project will involve conducting experiments on Drosophila tissues.

• Characterize the cellular and nuclear dynamics of different types of EMT using high-resolution live-cell imaging and immunolabeling. These images will then be analyzed in 3D using automated methods.
• Manipulate the physical constraints to which nuclei are subjected and compare transcriptional dynamics.
• Explore the response to controlled forces.

Positioning of Magali SUZANNE's team within the MCD unit: We are interested in the process of morphogenesis and seek to understand how organs acquire their specific shapes. We are more specifically interested in cellular dynamics during fundamental cellular events such as cell death or cell delamination and seek to characterize their impact on epithelial sheet remodeling. In addition to the biochemical signals that cells send to modulate the behavior of their neighbors, cells can also influence their environment mechanically. One of the key objectives of mechanobiology, a rapidly expanding field of research, is to understand how mechanical forces are generated, transmitted and integrated within a tissue.

Research Field Biological sciences » Biological engineering Years of Research Experience 4 - 10

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

• Expertise in developmental biology and in particular a good knowledge of drosophila and chicken models.
• Expertise in confocal microscopy, live imaging, image analysis and segmentation, immunostaining, molecular biology and electroporation.