Postdoctoral fellow position – Highly Experienced Molecular Biologist (F/M)
- Hospital Group
We are seeking a highly experienced and motivated postdoctoral fellow with a strong background in molecular biology to join our team. The successful candidate will work on a translational research project focused on identifying highly sensitive and specific circulating tumor biomarkers and developing innovative detection methods to be validated on clinical samples.
The hosting structure
The Institut Curie is a major player in research and fight against cancer. It consists of a hospital and a Research Center of more than 1000 employees with a strong international representativeness.
In 2022, more than 52,600 patients were treated, with 2,410 enrolled in clinical studies.
The mission of the Research Center is to advance fundamental research and to translate discoveries into clinical innovations for improving cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy—bridging the gap between bench and bedside.
The successful candidate will be affiliated with the Clinical Investigation Center at the hospital of Institut Curie and will work in the Circulating Tumor Biomarkers Laboratory (BTC) headed by Pr François-Clément Bidard, medical oncologist at Institut Curie, Professor of Medicine (PU-PH) at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin / Paris-Saclay and co-coordinator of breast cancer research at Institut Curie, and under the supervision of Dr Shufang Renault, deputy head of BTC laboratory.
Created in 1992, the Clinical Investigation Centers (CICs) are dedicated to advancing new scientific and medical knowledge to improve patient care, particularly in the field of translational clinical research.
The BTC Lab is one of the leading French labs for blood biomarker analyses, with a long track record in analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) via NGS and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) using the CellSearch system. In parallel, the BTC lab is deeply involved in identifying novel circulating tumor biomarkers and developing innovative detection technologies to improve early diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) detection in cancers such as breast, uveal melanoma, and lung cancer etc.
The project
The goal of this project is to advance liquid biopsy technologies by discovering novel biomarkers and establishing cutting-edge molecular methods for their detection.
Key responsibilities of the candidate include:
Identify and validate new circulating tumor biomarkers.
Develop and optimize novel methods for ctDNA detection.
Design and validate primers and probes for droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays.
Apply and validate developed approaches on clinical plasma samples.
In collaboration with bioinformaticians, to extract patient-specific biomarkers from NGS data.
Candidate profile
Training required:
The applicant should hold a PhD in Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related field, with strong hands-on training in molecular biology techniques.
Skills & Competencies:
High proficiency in molecular biology techniques (Mandatory; e.g., qPCR, primer and probe design, NGS).
Experience in cell culture and cellular biology is appreciated.
Familiarity with the interpretation of NGS data.
Proficiency in statistical analysis tools (e.g., R, GraphPad) is valued.
Experience in liquid biopsy and cancer biology is appreciated.
Strong command of English, both written and spoken.
Experience in scientific writing (e.g., manuscript preparation, grant applications).
Demonstrated research excellence, supported by a strong publication record.
Scientific rigor, innovative mindset and the ability to work independently.
Highly motivated and an excellent team player.
Contract information
Contract type: Fixed-term (CDD)
Duration: 2 years
Start date: From October 2025
Salary: €33,000–€35,000 per year, depending on experience.
Location: Institut Curie, Paris, France
To apply, please send your CV, your motivation letter and letters of recommendation to: Shufang.renault@curie.fr and cecile.buisson@curie.fr