Job ID: 114667

Post-doctoral position at IINS Bordeaux in the team “Membrane Traffic at Synapses”

Position: Post-doctoral Position

Deadline: 28 August 2023

Employment Start Date: 1 November 2023

Contract Length: 2 years

City: Bordeaux

Country: France

Institution: University of Bordeaux

Department: Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience (IINS), CNRS

Description:

We have a post-doctoral position available funded by the ANR to join our team “Membrane traffic at Synapses” at the Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience (IINS, Bordeaux).

If you are willing to tackle an ambitious project in the field of cellular neuroscience or bio-imaging in a dynamic team with an interdisciplinary focus, this project is of interest to you. The aim is to study the dynamics of endocytosis in neuronal dendrites and how it regulates synaptic plasticity. We have shown recently, using innovative imaging methods, that endocytic zones (EZs) have very different dynamics in slices compared to classical cultures (Perrais et al. in press), as we had shown before (Rosendale et al. 2017). Moreover, EZs are directly involved in the control of synaptic plasticity. We will test the hypothesis that integrins, which are important membrane proteins controlling cellular adhesion and EZ dynamics in non-neuronal cells, play an important role in controlling dendritic EZs and synaptic plasticity.

Methodology

You will develop methods to image EZ dynamics in dendrites of hippocampal neurons in dissociated cultures as well as in organic brain slices (lattice light sheet microscopy, spectral image scanning microscopy). You will use CRISPR/Cas9 mediated knock out of specific integrin subunits and associated proteins and test its effect on EZ dynamics and synaptic plasticity.

Selected Publications

Eichel K et al. (2022) Endocytosis in the axon initial segment is a clearance mechanism to maintain neuronal polarity. Nature 609:128-135.

Paget-Blanc V, et al. (2022) Synaptomic analysis of dopaminergic inputs reveal hub synapses in the mouse striatum. Nature Commun 13:3102.

Bakr M et al. (2021) The vSNAREs VAMP2 and VAMP4 control recycling and intracellular sorting of post-synaptic receptors in neuronal dendrites. Cell Reports 36(10):109678.

Rosendale M et al. (2019) Functional recruitment of dynamin requires multimeric interactions for efficient endocytosis. Nature Commun 10:4462.

Rosendale M et al. (2017) Spatial and temporal regulation of receptor endocytosis in neuronal dendrites revealed by imaging of single vesicle formation. Cell Reports 18:1840-1847.

Motivation and Mentoring

We seek highly motivated PhD graduates with an interest in cell biology, cellular imaging or synapse function. The student will be part of the team Membrane Traffic at Synapses which currently consists of ~10 people (see website). In addition, the candidate will benefit from the Bordeaux Neurocampus international and interdisciplinary environment, including state-of-the-art platforms (imaging, cell biology, vectorology…).

How to apply

Please send a statement of your past work and future research interests, your CV, and contact information for 2-3 references.