Junior Research Scientist in bovine immunology and infectiology

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) is a public research establishment under the dual authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Research.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

It is a major player in research and innovation created on 1^st of January 2020. INRAE is a research institute resulting from the merger of INRA and IRSTEA. It is a community of 12,000 people with more than 200 research units and 42 experimental units located throughout France.

The institute is among the world leaders in agricultural and food sciences, in plant and animal sciences, and is 11^th in the world in ecology and environment. INRAE’s main goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. In the face of the increase in population, climate change, scarcity of resources and decline in biodiversity, the institute develops solutions for multiperformance agriculture, high quality food and sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.

Work environment, missions and activities

UMR IHAP is a multi-disciplinary animal infectiology research unit attached to INRAE's Animal Health Department. Located on the ENVT campus, its main objective is to understand the interactions between pathogenic microorganisms and their hosts, at the different scales of life (molecule, cell, individual, population). The research carried out at IHAP is part of the "One World, One Health, One Medicine" concept, and focuses on three thematic areas:
- the biology of known or emerging zoonotic or enzootic pathogens responsible for infectious diseases in farm animals and/or humans; in particular, the determinants and processes involved in their genetic and phenotypic diversity, evolution, virulence, and host adaptation factors,
- host response and pathological processes, with a particular focus on immune responses, the role of host genetic background, and the development of animal models for clinical investigations and comparative pathology
- epidemiological factors affecting the dynamics and control of infectious diseases in farm animals.

The Immuité et Alternatives aux Antibiotiques (IALTA) team studies the mechanisms of immunity in response to infections and in relation to the host's genetic background. It studies methods of increasing the ruminant host's immune protection against infections, in particular by training its innate immunity. The work is applied to the predominant diseases of the species studied, whether mammary or respiratory infections.

Your objective will be to study, in an integrative way, the multiple approaches that can be used to train or increase immunity, particularly its innate component, in order to reduce the susceptibility of animals, particularly cattle, to infections. The ultimate aim will be to develop new methods of combating infectious diseases, no longer by directly targeting pathogens, but by stimulating the host's response and innate defense mechanisms, thereby reducing progressively the need for antibiotics.

Training and skills

You hold a PhD degree or equivalent.
You have a solid background in infectious diseases and immunology, possibly related to ruminant species.

You are also familiar with the principles of integrative analysis of the immune response and modeling of infection processes.
Initially, you will be able to draw on in-house skills in high-throughput analysis methods such as RNA-seq (bulk or single cell) or spatial transcriptomics, as well as high-throughput profiling of soluble factors (antibodies, cytokines) or various cell populations. Knowledge of alternative methods to animal experimentation, such as explants or organoid cultures, is a plus.

Fluency in English is desirable, as is long-term international experience: successful candidates who have not already had such experience will be required to spend a period abroad at the end of the internship year.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE.