Equipe d’Accueil : Biochimie Structurale des Microtubules, des Kinésines et de leurs Cargos
Intitulé de l’Unité : Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), UMR9198
Nom du Responsable de l’Unité : Frédéric BOCCARD
Nom du Responsable de l’Équipe : Benoît GIGANT & Julie MENETREY
Adresse : I2BC, 1, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette
Responsable de l’encadrement : Cécile SAUVANET
Tél : 01 69 82 34 97 Fax : ……………………… E-mail: cecile.sauvanet@i2bc.paris-saclay.fr
Résumé du projet (environ une demi-page)
Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles whose transport within cells is essential for energy distribution, particularly in neurons with long and complex extensions. Disruptions in mitochondrial trafficking are linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the need to better understand the molecular mechanisms controlling this process.
The MiKiCa team at the I2BC (Gif-sur-Yvette) is seeking a motivated intern to investigate mitochondrial motility and develop innovative tools to visualize key regulators of intracellular transport. The project focuses on the MIRO/TRAK transport machinery and the interaction between mitochondria and the cytoskeleton.
The intern will develop a novel molecular targeting strategy for cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) using bimodal AlphaRep probes. He/she will participate in the implementation of Streptolysin O (SLO) to facilitate the entry of exogenous molecules into cells. He/she will then use AlphaReps, capable of specifically recognizing proteins of interest, to enable their observation via both fluorescence microscopy and cryo-microscopy, thereby defining their potential as tools for correlative microscopy. The intern will thus be trained in cell culture and approaches to fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. He/she will also have the opportunity to implement approaches for cryo-tomography, such as cell culture on electron microscopy grids and the vitrification of grids.
This interdisciplinary project combines cell biology, protein engineering, advanced imaging, and structural biology to bridge cellular observations with molecular-scale architecture. The intern will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge microscopy platforms, including cryo-ET and cryo-CLEM, in collaboration with AlphaRep expert from Université Paris-Saclay/I2BC (Marie-Béatrice Valerio-Lepiniec) and cryo-ET expert from the SOLEIL synchrotron (Heddy Soufari).
This internship will establish a foundation for long-term research opportunities, including future PhD projects, investigating the role of mitochondrial dynamics in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer progression and offers a unique opportunity to work in a high-level scientific environment.
Dernières Publications en lien avec le projet :
– Sauvanet, C., et al. Correlative cryogenic light and electron tomography of eukaryotic cells. Nat Rev Methods Primers 5, 77 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-025-00447-2
– Léger C, Yahia-Ammar A, et al. Picomolar Biosensing and Conformational Analysis Using Artificial Bidomain Proteins and Terbium-to-Quantum Dot Förster Resonance Energy Transfer. ACS Nano. 2020
May 26;14(5):5956-5967 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c01410
– Léger C, Di Meo T, et al. Ligand induced conformational switch in an artificial bidomain protein scaffold. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 4;9(1):1178. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37256-5
– Fernandez M, Urvoas A, et al. Hybrid gold nanoparticle-quantum dot self-assembled, nanostructures driven by complementary artificial proteins. Nanoscale. 2020 Feb 20;12(7):4612-4621.https://doi.org/10.1039/c9nr09987e
Ce projet s’inscrit dans la perspective d’une thèse
si oui type de financement prévu : Concours de l’Ecole Doctorale
Ecole Doctorale de rattachement : ITFA ED569