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Descriptif
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A post-doc position is available in the new team Multiscale Physics of Morphogenesis, headed by Hervé Turlier (www.virtual-embryo.com). Funded initially for 24 months, the position can be extended to 36 months after evaluation. The work will combine physical & computational modeling to build a novel simulation framework for multicellular dynamics in 3 dimensions.
The mechanics of cells is generally dominated by the contribution of its actomyosin cortex, a thin viscoelastic layer which lies at the cell’s surface. The active stress developed by molecular motors within the layer is sufficient to drive its non-linear deformation in cell polarization(1), cell division(2) or in the morphogenesis of early embryos(3). The work will combine recent active-viscous models for the actomyosin cortex with a new numerical framework for describing the geometry & topology of multicellular systems in 3 dimensions(3). The resulting computational tool will form a general-purpose framework to simulate the dynamics of multicellular systems, and in particular early embryos. Several biological problems may be studied in collaboration with experimental biologists, such as the development of early mammalian embryos(3) or the nature & properties of contractile surface waves(4).
The candidate should prove excellent research records in theoretical physics, mechanical engineering or computational science/applied mathematics, and should already have strong programming skills (C++). Experience in differential geometry will be valuable, as well as past collaborative work with experimental biologists. The candidate will furthermore be expected to take part in the scientific life of the lab, to present his research at interdisciplinary & international conferences & to participate to outreach activities from the Foundation Bettencourt-Schueller.
1. Bun P. et al., Mechanical Checkpoint For Persistent Cell Polarization in Adhesion-naive Fibroblasts. Biophysical Journal 107 (2014).
2. Turlier H. et al., Furrow Constriction in Animal Cell Cytokinesis. Biophysical Journal 106 (2014).
3. Maître J-L., Turlier H. et al., Asymmetric division of contractile domaines couples cell position and specification. Nature 536 (2016).
4. Maître et al., Pulsatile cell-autonomous contractility drives compaction in the mouse embryo. Nat. Cell Biol. 17 (2015). |
