Join our Translational Pharmacology team, based in Paris, as an intern (for a minimum period of 5 months) and contribute to the development of innovative preclinical models to test the efficacy of Eligobiotics®. You will be supervised by a translational scientist specialized in skin immunology and microbiology, and work closely with an international team at the interface of microbiology and drug development.
Eligo Bioscience develops a new class of biotherapeutics called Eligobiotics® that enable precision-editing of the microbiome. These phage-derived particles deliver synthetic DNA payloads into bacteria in situ. Eligobiotics® are developed for three types of applications:
1. Sequence-specific antimicrobials: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express a CRISPR-Cas complex. An RNA guides the CRISPR-Cas complex to a specific complementary DNA sequence (target sequence), causing double-strand breaks and the subsequent death of the bacteria. Only bacteria carrying the specific target DNA sequence are killed, while other bacteria remain intact.
2. Gene editing: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express a base editor complex. An RNA guide steers the base editor complex to a specific complementary DNA sequence (target sequence), leading to the substitution of a selected nucleotide with another. Specific mutations can be introduced without killing the bacteria.
3. Function addition to the microbiome: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express one or multiple transgenes of interest. The protein of interest is typically a therapeutic protein.
— YOUR MISSION —
During the internship, you will contribute to the development and optimization of ex vivo preclinical models to evaluate the performance of Eligobiotics®. This will involve:
- Setting up microbiome models relevant to human skin for Eligobiotic® testing,
- Applying Eligobiotics® to these models and evaluating impact on commensal bacteria and drug delivery,
- Carrying out microbiological assays such as plating, colony-forming unit (CFU) quantification, and bacterial isolation,
- Performing molecular biology techniques (e.g., (dd)PCR, NGS sequencing) to analyze microbial composition and characterize microbial communities in human-derived samples, thereby supporting model design and validation.
— APPLICANT PROFILE —
- Master’s or Engineering student in microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, or a related life sciences field (from an EU country).
- Strong foundation in microbiology techniques (sterile handling, plating, CFU counting, bacterial isolation).
- Experience with molecular biology methods (PCR based methods DNA/RNA extraction and purification) required; familiarity with microbial community characterization is a plus.
- Prior exposure to skin models, tissue explants, or human-derived samples is desirable.
- Comfortable working in a multi-disciplinary and international environment, with excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written).
- Demonstrated autonomy, initiative, adaptability, and team spirit.
- Motivated, detail-oriented, and eager to contribute to translational drug development research.