Postdoctoral Position (Prokaryotic Cell Biology, Evolution)
Postdoctoral Position (Prokaryotic Cell Biology, Evolution)
Institut Pasteur
Paris, France
A 3-year postdoctoral position is available in the group “Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell” headed by Professor Simonetta Gribaldo at the Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Project
In Bacteria, peptidoglycan (PG) is a fundamental and universal component of the envelope and driving morphology, growth, and division. In contrast, PG is generally absent in Archaea, apart from a clade harboring a cell wall made of pseudomurein (archaeal PG), which structurally resembles its bacterial counterpart, but it is chemically distinct. How a PG cell wall emerged in Archaea and what were the consequences at the cellular level are fascinating open questions.
Intriguingly, apart from a few homologues of the first steps in PG synthesis (Mur) and some cytoskeleton elements (FtsZ, SepF, MreB), PG-walled archaea lack most components of the bacterial elongasome and divisome (e.g., MreB-associated proteins, PBPs, hydrolases, regulators). This indicates the existence of substantially novel machineries that await to be discovered.
The project aims at identifying and characterizing the components involved in elongation and division in archaea with a PG cell wall. The candidate will use our two experimental models: Methanobrevibacter smithii, an ovococcoid and the main species of methanogens from the human gut, and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, a genetically tractable rod-shaped environmental relative. One axis of the project focuses on the candidates already identified and will involve the construction of mutants and their phenotypic characterization (phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy, protein-protein interaction). The second axis will aim at discovering new components using diverse approaches (transposon mutagenesis screens, protein pulldowns, bacterial two hybrid).
The results obtained in the frame of the project will provide seminal new data on a largely understudied area of investigation, with a high component of discovery and strong impact on the rapidly expanding field of archaeal cell biology. Ultimately, they will lead to understand how PG evolved in Archaea and what are its links with bacterial PG.
Profile
Applicants should hold (or expect shortly) a PhD in Life Sciences and have a solid background in prokaryotic cell biology, including molecular biology, microbial genetics, or microscopy. Previous work on Archaea is not mandatory and we welcome applicants with experience with bacterial division and elongation studies. All the necessary training to work with methanogens is provided by the lab. Previous experience with sequence analysis is a plus, but also not strictly necessary, and all members of the group are welcome to learn through formation either by our staff bioinformaticians or attending frequent classes at Institut Pasteur.
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