2-year Postdoctoral position in “single cell proteomics applied to breast cancer resistance”, Cancer Research Center of Marseille, France (funded by Amidex)

RESEARCHER PROFILE Postdoc/R2: PhD holders
RESEARCH FIELD(S)1: Biology;
MAIN SUB RESEARCH FIELD OR DISCIPLINES1: Biological sciences

JOB /OFFER DESCRIPTION
The team «Membrane Proteomics and Cancer (MEMPROT)” at the Cancer Research Center of Marseille (CRCM) uses last advances in high resolution mass spectrometry to characterize proteins at the surface of cancer cells to find proteins isoforms and post-translational modifications of value during cancer progression, resistance and relapse and discover new potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers. An ambitious technological development in the team focuses on single cell proteomics analysis to access tumor heterogeneity in patient-derived organoids and xenografts.

In the frame of this team and a project recently funded by the French government under the France 2030 investment plan (as part of the Initiative of Excellence of Aix-Marseille Université – AMIDEX), we propose a 2 years postdoctoral project which will focus on the development and application of single cell proteomics for the analysis of chemoresistance in breast cancer.

Among breast cancer subtypes, triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst overall prognosis with a high rate of recurrence. TNBC lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, so it cannot be treated with hormonal or HER2‑targeted therapies and relies mainly on chemotherapy. Intra-tumor heterogeneity is a primary cause of therapeutic failure with some tumor cell populations that escape therapy, leading to tumor progression. Thus, it is critical to characterize those resisting cells at the earliest stages to find new therapeutic targets and greatly improve survival of patients.

In collaboration with the team of E. Charafe / C. Ginestier at CRCM, the post-doctoral researcher will compare single cell proteomes of triple negative breast cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDX) before and after resistance to several chemotherapies commonly used in clinics as first line of treatment of triple negative breast cancer.

The postdoctoral researcher will work in close collaboration with several other research groups at CRCM and with the engineers of Marseille Proteomics platform (MAP) located in the same building and equipped with Evosep Eno - Astral mass spectrometer.

Key words: breast cancer, single cell proteomics, mass spectrometry; bioinformatics

TYPE OF CONTRACT:TEMPORARY
JOB STATUS:FULL TIME
HOURS PER WEEK:39
APPLICATION DEADLINE:01/03/2026 23:00 (Paris time)
ENVISAGED STARTING DATE:01/05/2026
ENVISAGED DURATION: 24 months.
JOB FNOT UNDED THROUGH AN EU RESEARCH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME

WORK LOCATION(S):Centre de Recherche Cancérologie de Marseille 27 Bd Leï Roure, CS30059 13273 MARSEILLE Cedex 09

WHAT WE OFFER:
2600-3050 euros per month gross salary depending on experience and Amidex Aix Marseille university salary scale.

Additional information: The Euraxess Center of Aix-Marseille Université informs foreign visiting professors, researchers, postdoc and PhD candidates about the administrative steps to be undertaken prior to arrival at AMU and the various practical formalities to be completed once in France: visas and entry requirements, insurance, help finding accommodation, support in opening a bank account, etc. More information onAMU EURAXESS Portal

QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIRED RESEARCH FIELDS, REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVEL, PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, OTHER RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS

• A PhD in cancer biology, in cellular biology or in biochemistry
• Previous experience in protein biochemistry and in bioinformatics
• Previous experience in mass spectrometry is a plus but not mandatory

Soft skills:Autonomy, Teamwork, Analytical and critical thinking; English spoken and written.

REQUESTED DOCUMENTS OF APPLICATION, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, SELECTION PROCESS
CV, contact of 2 references and a letter of motivation

HOW TO APPLY:[emailprotected]