PhD Position F/M Mean-field modeling of coupled single-cell–population dynamics with intercellular communication

PhD Position F/M Mean-field modeling of coupled single-cell–population dynamics with intercellular communication Download job offer in PDF format Contract type : Fixed-term contract Level of qualifications required : Graduate degree or equivalent Fonction : PhD Position About the research centre or Inria department Created in 2008, the Inria Saclay Center is located at the heart of the Paris-Saclay scientific and technological excellence cluster, which alone accounts for 15% of French research. Serving the development of the Université Paris-Saclay and the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, the Inria Saclay center employs 80 people in research support services and 500 scientists of 54 nationalities. Benefiting from continuous growth, the center now has a total of 42 project-teams and two in the process of being created, including 21 jointly with the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 16 with the Université Paris-Saclay, as well as 7 Inria EPs, including one in collaboration with Onera and one with the Pôle Universitaire Centre Val de Loire. These research teams are spread over more than ten sites. Context The project is part of the ERC Starting Grant of Jakob Ruess (Lifeware team at Inria Saclay). Inria is the French national institute for research in computer science, control, and applied mathematics promoting scientific excellence and technology transfer. Within this project, we primarily work on the development of mathematical modeling approaches and statistical inference/estimation methods but we also collaborate with biologists to apply our methods to real data. Our main long-term goal is to develop a comprehensive methodological framework supporting the development of a quantitative understanding of biochemical processes inside single cells that are coupled to the dynamics of growing cell populations. Our research topics are at the intersection of mathematical biology, statistics, control engineering, and statistical physics applied to problems in biology. This job announcement is for a PhD position on the project. Assignment The concrete goal of this position is to extend our exisiting modeling frameworks on coupled dynamics of single-cell and population processes with additional mechanisms that capture active cell-to-cell communication. Main activities Overview of the ERC Project: Synthetic biology aims at engineering biochemical processes to supplement cells with artificial functionality. To this end, we design synthetic gene circuits that operate as dynamical systems inside cells and deploy methods from control engineering to regulate circuit functionality. A key problem in this is that biochemical processes inside single cells are inherently stochastic and create heterogeneity within cell populations that eventually leads to complex couplings between single-cell processes and population dynamics. It is thus difficult to quantitatively predict how exactly a constructed circuit will function in the context of a growing population and to design single-cell circuits such that desired dynamics emerge at the population scale. At the single-cell scale, stochastic biochemical processes are typically represented as continuous-time Markov chains governed by a chemical master equation (Kolmogorov forward equations). We have recently started to develop a multi-scale modeling framework that augments models of single-cell processes with population scale processes such as growth and selection (Ruess et al., The Journal of Chemical Physics, 2023). Our multi-scale modeling framework gives us unprecedented opportunities to forward-simulate coupled dynamics of stochastic single-cell and population processes, which paves the way to model, design, and dynamically control synthetic gene circuits so as to create desired functionality within growing populations. Within this project, we thus aim to focus on the development of methods for reverse engineering and controlling multi-scale models and on applying this methodology in real applications for a collection of gene circuits constructed by our collaborators. Links to publications: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0160529 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009214 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114438119 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00285-023-01876-x Skills Candidates for the position should have a background in statistical physics and be capable of using methods from this fields to study dynamical systems and stochastic processes in applications. Expertise in biology is not required but candidates are expected to build up an understanding of our concrete applications throughout the course of the project. Benefits package • Subsidized meals • Partial reimbursement of public transport costs • Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.) • Possibility of teleworking and flexible organization of working hours • Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.) • Social, cultural and sports events and activities • Access to vocational training Remuneration 2300€ gross/month Apply for this position Share • Facebook • Linkedin • Twitter • Email General Information • Theme/Domain : Computational Biology Biologie et santé, Sciences de la vie et de la terre (BAP A) • Town/city : Palaiseau • Inria Center : Centre Inria de Saclay • Starting date : 2027-01-01 • Duration of contract : 3 years • Deadline to apply : 2026-12-31 Warning : you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed. Instruction to apply Defence Security : This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST).Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment. Recruitment Policy : As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities. Contacts • Inria Team : LIFEWARE • PhD Supervisor : Ruess Jakob / jakob.ruess@inria.fr The keys to success Applications should include a CV, list of publications, and contact details of scientists willing to recommend the candidate. About Inria Inria, the French national institute for research in digital science and technology, supports the French government in national research and innovation strategies in the digital field, acting as Digital Programs Agency. Inria leads over 300 research and innovation projects with its 3,500 scientists, engineers, and support staff, in partnership with universities and the digital ecosystem (businesses, entrepreneurs, and public stakeholders). Together, we explore strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, cloud technologies, digital transformation in healthcare, digital twins, and digital technologies for defence. We develop practical solutions such as software, tech startups, partnerships with national companies, and cutting-edge training programmes. Our goal is to drive scientific, technological, and industrial excellence to ensure France’s digital sovereignty.