Functional Genomics of LCCL Postdoctoral Researcher

The ESCAPE Research Unit at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA) is seeking a motivated and creative Postdoctoral Researcher to investigate a poorly characterized family of Cryptosporidium proteins containing LCCL domains.

The position is part of a newly funded research program supported by Coefficient Giving (USA). The project aims to establish the functional relevance of LCCL-domain proteins in Cryptosporidium and identify candidate proteins associated with the formation and development of infectious parasite stages. LCCL domains are found in proteins associated with developmental and structural processes in several Apicomplexa, but their biological functions in Cryptosporidium remain poorly understood. Our preliminary observations point to a group of LCCL-domain proteins associated with the crystalloid body (CB), a distinctive structure observed during parasite development (Fig. 1). The central objective of the project is to move from this initial observation to functional evidence by systematically testing candidate LCCL-domain proteins.

Research program

The project will establish a targeted CRISPR-based functional screening strategy for LCCL-domain proteins in Cryptosporidium.

The postdoctoral researcher will :

•     establish and optimize a targeted CRISPR screen of LCCL-domain protein genes ;

•     generate and analyse genetically modified Cryptosporidium lines ;

•     develop robust phenotyping assays to identify candidate genes associated with parasite development ;

•     prioritize LCCL-domain proteins on the basis of genetic and phenotypic evidence ;

•     validate the most promising candidates through independent genetic perturbations ;

•     characterize the resulting phenotypes using molecular and microscopy-based approaches ;

•     investigate the localization and cellular context of selected LCCL-domain proteins ;

•     establish the first functional links between LCCL-domain proteins and parasite developmental processes ;

•     generate discovery data providing the foundation for subsequent mechanistic studies ;

•     contribute to the preparation of manuscripts and future research proposals arising from the project.

The project is deliberately designed as a discovery program. The successful candidate will therefore have an important role in deciding how promising candidates should be followed up as new results emerge.