Job ID: 119893
Electrophysiology in brain slices of mouse models and cells in culture for functional analysis of sodium channel mutations
Position: Post-doctoral Position
Deadline: 2 September 2024
Employment Start Date: 1 October 2024
Contract Length: 1 Year renewable up to 3 years
City: Valbonne
Country: France
Institution: CNRS
Department: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (IPMC)
Description:
The link for applying to the position (compulsory) is :
https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR7275-MASMAN-015/Default.aspx
Post-doctoral researcher (1-year initial contract, renewable up to 3 years) in charge of the development and conduct of experimental protocols (in particular electrophysiological recordings in brain slices of mouse models, transfected neurons in primary culture and cell lines) in research projects on models of neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy linked to sodium channel gene mutations. Sodium channel mutations are implicated in different types of neurodevelopmental disorders, including developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) characterized by drug-resistant seizures, cognitive/behavioral deficits, movement disorders and mortality, often due to “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy” (SUDEP). The team is expert in the experimental study of models of these pathologies (Mantegazza et al, 2021, Physiological Reviews, 101(4):1633 https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00025.2020 ; Guerrini et al 2023 Physiological Reviews 103(1):433) https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00063.2021; Rusina et al. 2023 J.Neurochemistry https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jnc.15947; Capitano et al. 2024 PNAS https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2316364121).
The general objectives of the research project are: 1) to better understand the pathological mechanisms of genetic variants (effects on the properties of channels, neurons and neuronal networks) 2) to better target therapeutic treatments and understand their mechanisms of action.
Activities
– Electrophysiological recordings in brain slices (patch-clamp, LFP, electrical stimulations), primary cultured neurons and HEK cell lines (patch-clamp).
– Transfections of primary cultured neurons and HEK cell lines.
– Ex vivo optogenetics.
– Dynamic clamp.
– Mouse handling: injections, pharmacological treatments, sampling, labeling, genotyping.
– Quantification of epileptic seizures in mouse models.
– Perform some behavioral tests on mice (basic quantification of cognitive functions, motor skills, social interactions).
– Formatting of results and statistical analysis.
– Literature monitoring and improvement/adaptation of techniques and analyses.
Skills
– Experience in electrophysiological recordings (particularly patch-clamp).
– Experience in preparing slices for electrophysiological recordings.
– Preparation of neurons in primary culture, cell culture, transfections.
– Mouse handling.
– Data analysis skills: statistical analysis, signal analysis (particularly electrophysiological).
– Training in animal experimentation.
– Organizational skills, rigor and method, motivation, autonomy.
– Knowledge of written and spoken English.
The position is at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology in Valbonne – Sophia Antipolis (Alpes-Maritimes). The IPMC is a joint research unit of CNRS, Université Côte d’Azur and Inserm (250 people, 8000 m2 of buildings). Its 20 research teams benefit from a world class technological environment in integrative biology, electrophysiology, molecular and cellular biology, imaging, cytometry, biomolecule analysis and functional genomics, mouse phenotyping. The postdoc will work in the “Physiopathology of Na+ channels and neuronal excitability” team, under the supervision of Massimo Mantegazza.
Website of the team: www.ipmc.cnrs.fr/?page=mantegazza&lang=uk