3 Post-Doctoral researchers in the frame of an ERC funded program

Antoine Triller’s research group is seeking to recruit
3 Post-Doctoral researchers in the frame of an ERC funded program
General thematic:
The tracking of single molecules has revolutionized our understanding of the regulation of
neurotransmitter receptors at the cell surface, demonstrating the importance of diffusion-capture
processes. Receptors in the plasma membrane continuously exchange between synaptic and extrasynaptic
locations. Interactions between neurotransmitter receptors and postsynaptic scaffold proteins
control the distribution of receptors at synaptic and extra-synaptic sites. This mechanism is modulated
at many levels (e.g. receptor-scaffold or scaffold-scaffold interactions), and contributes to the
regulation of the synaptic strength of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in physiological and
pathological conditions. The gap in knowledge between the molecular instability of randomly diffusing
receptors and the stable functional architecture of synapses will be addressed through superresolutive
and single particle tracking methods, and combining them with electrophysiology and
functional imaging. Accessing molecular dynamics in an integrated system such as organotypic
cultures and ultimately in vivo is a challenge but will represent a significant and revolutionary
breakthrough in the field.
Research projects (RP1-3) will focus on inhibitory Glycine and GABAA receptors (GlyR,
GABAAR).
RP1. Controlling synaptic receptor number: toward chemistry in cellulo
Objective: establish quantitatively the link between diffusion dynamics and receptor trapping at
synapses in relation with the chemical properties of molecular interactions. This innovative approach
involving the development of new imaging technologies, will uncover the mechanisms responsible for
receptor accumulation at synapses.
RP2. Cell-autonomous regulation of inhibition: activity and Ca2+-dependent diffusion trapping
Objectives: 1) to establish how phosphorylation-dependent affinities within the postsynaptic assembly
impact the diffusion dynamics and the number of receptors at synapses; and 2) to link this regulation
with the excitation/inhibition equilibrium.
RP3. Non-cell autonomous regulation of inhibition: glia and inflammation
Objective: elucidate the role of glia-neuron interactions for the regulation of the molecular dynamics
and synaptic accumulation of GlyRs and GABAARs at inhibitory synapses.
Applications should include the following documents:
• A cover letter,
• A Curriculum Vitae
These documents and two letters of recommendation e-mailed directly by their authors should
be sent to: daniele.murciano@ens.fr and christian.specht@ens.fr
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS MAY 15th, 2013
Start date: End of 2013 at the latest
The net annual salary will be indexed on the postdoctoral researcher scale. The position will be
funded for 24 months with the possibility of an extension.
For further information, please contact Danièle Murciano: +33 1 32 44 37 42
(daniele.murciano@ens.fr)