POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION (M/F) on gene editing for IPEX syndrome

Société CDMO toulousaine spécialisée dans les vecteurs viraux fondée en 2005, Flash Therapeutics est une société innovante produisant des lentivirus pour le marché de la thérapie génique et la thérapie cellulaire.

Nos 50 collaborateurs regroupés sur le Centre d'Innovation Langlade (Toulouse) ont développé une expertise scientifique différenciante pour le développement, la fabrication et l’accompagnement réglementaire des projets CDMO qui nous sont confiés.

Dans le contexte de l’arrivée d’un nouvel actionnaire en 2021 (TechLife Capital), la société a développé son outil de production cGMP pour accompagner ses clients sur les phases cliniques.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION (M/F) on gene editing for IPEX syndrome

Genetic Diseases Imagine Institute aim is to characterize and treat genetic diseases.
A 1 year (renewable) post-doctoral fellow position is available from February 2024 in the research group of Dr Emmanuelle Six, at the Imagine Institute in the Necker Hospital Campus (Paris, France) and in close collaboration with Flash Therapeutics, (Toulouse, France). The project will also involve close collaboration with Dr Annarita Miccio’s lab at the Imagine Institute and the biotherapy department directed by Pr Marina Cavazzana on the Necker Hospital Campus.

The research team is interested in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of Immune dysregulation Polyendocrinopathy X linked (IPEX) syndrome, caused by mutations in the FOXP3 gene, which leads to the loss of function of regulatory T cells. The goal of the work, financed by the RHU-ANR IRIS (InheRited Immune diSorders), is to develop novel gene editing approaches for IPEX syndrome by comparing various technologies.

The Imagine institute represents an excellent setting to pursue such studies.

We are looking for a talented and highly motivated post-doctoral fellow with an expertise in the biology of human T cells and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, as well as in molecular biology.

Main missions:

• Implementation of the project in connection with the research lab and other clinical departments

• Implementation, adaptation and coordination of required techniques

• Results analysis and oral and written reporting

Required skills:

• Mastery of flow cytometry

• Mastery of in vitro cell culture techniques in confined spaces (SPF2) especially manipulating human T cells and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

• Skills in primary cell engineering (lentiviral transduction, gene editing approaches)

• Molecular biology techniques (DNA, RNA extraction, PCR, RT-PCR)

• Animal experimentation: injections, sampling would be a plus

• Skills in use of computer tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, FlowJo or other flow cytometry

• analysis softwares, Prism, statistics tools)

• Communicate, transmit knowledge and present data

• Good level of English

• Knowledge and interest in hematopoiesis, gene therapy and translational research

• Adaptability to time constraints, good laboratory practice

• Rigor, methodology and organization, dynamism, autonomy and critical sense

Diploma and professional experience required:

• PhD in life sciences

• Animal experimentation diploma would be a plus

• Similar professional experience desired

Type of contract and amount of annual salary:

·        Fixed term contract for 12 months available as soon as possible

·        Salary according to experience

·        Deadline for application: 29th February , 2024

Applications in English including a cover letter, a detailed CV with publication list and contact information of two references should be sent to emmanuelle.six@inserm.fr and christine.duthoit@flashtherapeutics.com

Selected publications on the subject:

1)     Delville M, et al. A combination of cyclophosphamide, interleukin-2 allow CD4+ T cells converted to Tregs to control scurfy syndrome. Blood. 2021; 137(17):2326-2336. PMID: 33545713. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020009187.

2)     Cavazzana M, el al Gene therapy targeting haematopoietic stem cells for inherited diseases: progress and challenges. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2019; 18(6):447-462. PMID: 30858502. doi: 10.1038/s41573-019-0020-9.

3)      Prel A, et al. Highly efficient in vitro and in vivo delivery of functional RNAs using new versatile MS2-chimeric retrovirus-like particles. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2015; 2:15039. doi: 10.1038/mtm.2015.39. eCollection 2015

4)     Mianné J, et al. Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout and interallelic gene conversion in human induced pluripotent stem cells using non-integrative bacteriophage-chimeric retrovirus-like particles. BMC Biol. 2022. 20(1):8.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01214-x