PhD Position on Immuno–Virological Mechanisms of Asthma in Organoid Models

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, with significant seasonal peaks in hospitalizations linked to the circulation of respiratory viruses like Respiratory Syncytial Viruses (RSV) and Rhinoviruses (RV). Recent evidence suggests that the sequence of these infections can drastically alter respiratory outcomes. The INVITH project aims to understand how an early RSV infection "reprograms" the asthmatic bronchial epithelium and its immune microenvironment, thereby modifying the response to subsequent RV infections and amplifying Th2-driven inflammation.
 The PhD candidate will work on three main Workpackages (WPs):
• WP1: Characterizing the inflammatory response and airway remodeling in a novel 3D model of Apical-Out Airway Organoids (AOAO) derived from pediatric asthmatic patients.
• WP2: Developing and validating a complex co-culture model integrating bronchial organoids with human dendritic cells (DC) to mimic the Th2 immune environment
• WP3: Identifying viral interference patterns and signaling pathways through Single-cell RNA-seq and molecular quantification of viral RNA (qRT-PCR)

The student will be hosted at the UMR 1311 INSERM DYNAMICURE lab (Rouen, France) and will benefit from the multimodal HeRacLeS university infrastructure (Organoid platform and bioimaging platform for advanced tissue imaging).

This project is conducted in close collaboration with the University of Lille (CIIL) with Pre Stéphanie LEJEUNE, Pediatric pulmonologist as co-supervisor.

The project is also integrated into the FHU RESPIRE network, a consortium of researchers from 4 northwestern French cities with complementary expertise in microbiology, pulmonology, toxicology, chemistry, and immunology.

Requirements for the candidates
• Education: A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Biology, Health Sciences, Microbiology, or Immunology
• Technical Skills: Experience in cell culture (primary cells or 3D models preferred), molecular biology (RNA extraction, qRT-PCR), and confocal bioimaging
• Scientific Interest: Strong interest in respiratory pathologies, virology, immunology and precision medicine
• Languages: Proficiency in English (written and oral) is required for international communication
• Bonus: Basic knowledge of bioinformatics (e.g., Python, R) or image analysis software (Imaris, ImageJ) is an asset