Position identification

Title of post : Postdoctoral research fellow
Type of contract : Contrat Post-doctoral (CDD)
Category (A,B or C) : A
Contract/project period : 12-24 months Expected date of employment : 12/10/2026
Proportion of work : full time
Workplace : Labo IFM (UMR7177)
Desired level of education : PhD degree (obtained less than 3 years ago)
Experience required : Proficiency in MD simulations, experience with Markov-state modeling,
and management of HPC resources.
 

Contact(s) for information on the position (identity, position, e-mail address, telephone) :
Prof. Marco Cecchini, Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Fonctions Moléculaires UMR7177
mcecchini@unistra.fr

Date of publication : 28/08/2026
Closing date for the receipt of applications : 25/09/2026

Research project or operation
A post-doctoral position in molecular modelling of synaptic receptors is available within the framework of the ANR-funded project GlyTrans between the Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg (France) and Institut Pasteur in Paris. The research project builds on a long-standing and fruitful collaboration between the groups of Marco Cecchini in Strasbourg and Pierre-Jean Corringer and Jean-Pierre Changeux at Institut Pasteur.

Activities

Description of the research activities :
The goal of the project is to decipher the conformational transitions of a prototypical synaptic receptor during activation and desensitization with atomic resolution by combining electrophysiology and fluorescence experiments with Molecular Dynamics and Markov-state modelling. The position is available for a duration of 12 months with possible renewal for another 12 months. The research project, the job description and requirements are described at: https://seafile.unistra.fr/f/0c453300ac06416ca4f4/

Skills

Qualifications/knowledge :
The selected candidate will oversee: (1) setting up and running MD simulations of GlyR in different conformational states and in complex with ligands; (2) constructing several MSMs based on the MD sampling; (3) exchanging results and ideas with Pasteur to fertilize observation made in silico and formulate hypothesis to be tested experimentally. Proficiency in MD simulations, experience with Markov-state modeling, and management of HPC resources will be considered as an asset.

Operational skills/expertise :
All simulations will be carried out using Gromacs. MSM construction will be done using PYEMMA and Deeptime. Dedicated computer resources at the Mesocentre of Unistra and the French national computer centers (GENCI) will be used.

Personal qualities :
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Strong team-working skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with others.

Environment and context of work

Presentation of the laboratory/unity :
Marco Cecchini is Maître de Conférence and Head of the Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Fonctions Moléculaires (IFM) at the Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg. Raised up at the school of Martin Karplus (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013), he is leading a molecular modeling group since 2010. His research on pLGICs is well recognized for the development of the first in silico model of gating in pLGICs and the pioneering use of computational electrophysiology for the functional annotation
of ion-channel structures. In collaboration with Ryan Hibbs from UCSD and Jean-Pierre Changeux, he has provided the first structural interpretation of the allosteric modulation at α7nAChRs (Cell 2024).
 

Hierarchical relationship :
Marco Cecchini is the project leader and supervisor.

To apply, please send your CV, cover letter and diploma to : Prof. Marco Cecchini
Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Fonctions Moléculaires UMR7177
mcecchini@unistra.fr