Postdoctoral Researcher (G1) at the Lipid trafficking and disease

A Postdoctoral Research position is available in the group of “Lipid Trafficking and Disease (IDIBAPS, Barcelona)” to participate in the ERC granted project “Lipid droplets as innate immunity hubs (DRIMMS)”. The research will be supervised by the ICREA Professor Albert Pol as part of the international consortium “Lipid Droplet-Innate Immunity Group” formed by our group and Robert G. Parton (University of Queenland, Australia) and Caroline Demangel (Institut Pasteur, Paris).

Candidates must have a PhD in Biology, Medicine, or similar. Profiles with experience in Immunology, Epithelial Biology or Innate immunity will be especially considered. Previous experience in the design and development of research projects will be valued positively. The contracts will include a trial period of six months, and the salary will be as stipulated by IDIBAPS (36,000 to 42,000 depending on previous experience).

Experience in the following areas/techniques will be positively valued:
– Microbiology; Innate immunity and Epithelial biology.
– Cell Biology techniques including Primary cell culture; Advanced Microscopy; RNA interference, RT-PCR; Flow cytometry; Lipid analysis.
– Molecular biology techniques such as design and production of plasmids and DNA vectors, viral vector generation and CRISPR;
– Bioinformatic analysis and big data management of RNA seq and high throughput screenings.

Scientific background:
To date, approximately 1400 species of human pathogens have been identified. These pathogens cause 16 million deaths each year and this situation is predicted to worsen in the future. It is therefore imperative that countermeasures to face this global threat are identified and implemented as soon as possible. A distinctive premise of our research is that countermeasures could be learnt from the sophisticated defence mechanisms that eukaryotes have developed over millions of years to cope with the pervasive presence of microbes. As major lipid storage organelles of eukaryotes, lipid droplets (LDs) are an attractive source of nutrients for invaders. Pathogens induce and physically interact with LDs and the current view is that they ‘hijack’ LDs to draw on substrates for host colonisation. We recently challenged this dogma by demonstrating that LDs are endowed with a regulated protein-mediated antibiotic activity. Our work introduced the new concept that dependence on host nutrients is a generic ‘Achilles’ heel’ of intracellular pathogens and LDs a chokepoint harnessed by innate immunity to organise a front-line defence. The Lipid Droplet-Innate Immunity Group is an ERC-funded international and multidisciplinary consortium that combine complementary knowledge and transdisciplinary expertise to investigate the hypothesis that LDs are innate immunity hubs sensing infection and directly confronting invaders. Using state-of-the-art technology, we will characterise how LDs efficiently coordinate and precisely execute a plethora of immune responses. Characterisation of these novel innate immune systems will be paradigm-shifting in immunology, physiology and cell biology. In the age of antimicrobial resistance and viral pandemics, unravelling how eukaryotic LDs fight and defeat dangerous microorganisms will inspire new anti-infective therapies.
The applicant will be using advanced 3D primary epithelial cultures to understand the role of lipid droplets in the defence of epithelial tissues against bacterial infections.
Read more at:
1) Mammalian lipid droplets are innate immune hubs integrating cell metabolism and host
defense. Bosch M, (…), and Pol A. Science. 2020 Oct 16;370(6514):eaay8085. doi:10.1126/science.aay8085.
Editor’s comment in
https://sciencesciencemagorg.sire.ub.edu/content/370/6514/eaay8085.editor-summary
Special Perspective in https://science-sciencemagorg. sire.ub.edu/content/370/6514/294
F1000 four times recommended https://facultyopinions.com/prime/738842825
2) Lipid droplets and the host–pathogen dynamic: FATal attraction? Bosch, M, Sweet MJ, Parton RG, and Pol A. The Journal of Cell Biology 2021, 220 (8): e202104005. doi:10.1083/jcb.202104005.
3) Self-sustaining long-term 3D epithelioid cultures reveal drivers of clonal expansion in esophageal epithelium. Herms A, (..), and Philip H. Jones. Nature Genetics. 2024 Oct;56(10):2158-2173. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01875-8.

IDIBAPS offers
• Type of contract: Indefinite contract for scientific-technical activities.
• Working hours: Full time (37.5 hours / week).
• Line of research: Lipid Doplets and Innate Immunity
• Project: Lipid Droplets as innate immunity hubs (DRIMMS)
• Funder and official project code: European Commission – 101071784
• Incorporation into IDIBAPS: A research centre of excellence in the city of Barcelona. Excellent research results and competitive project grant awards, both national and international.
• Long-life training offered by the institute.
• Working conditions: Holiday entitlement of 22 days + 6 days for personal affairs, flexible working hours and flexible remuneration (health insurance, transport, meal
vouchers, training).
• The chance to form part of a dynamic work environment: We are a team with a wealth of experience that jointly evaluates ideas and strategies and promotes a
healthy work-life balance.

Applications
• Presentation letter: explicitly mentioning the call reference and explaining the candidate’s personal reasons for applying.
• Curriculum Vitae: including a list of publications, where applicable.
• Documentation accrediting the credentials set out and the required qualifications.
• Obligatory: the duly signed Authorisation relating to EU Regulation 2016/679 on the
protection of personal data (attached document, page 6) must be attached to the
application.

Submission and deadline
• Candidates shall submit their applications, indicating the call reference for the position for which they are applying, by email to the address: FCRBRRHH@recerca.clinic.cat
• Deadline: From the publication of this call until 16/02/2025