Application Deadline 31 Dec 2026 2026-12-31 8:00:00 2026-12-31 18:00:00 Europe/Paris M2 internship in vaccines and immunology at Institut Pasteur, Paris, France Dendritic cells and mRNA vaccination against influenza virus. TeamA M2 internship position is available in the Guermonprez lab at Institut Pasteur Paris in collaboration with the Group of Ignacio Garcia Verdugo at Institut Cochin. […] "25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris" Ignacio Garcia-Verdugo [email protected] Add to Calendar iCalendar

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Dendritic cells and mRNA vaccination against influenza virus. Team A M2 internship position is available in the Guermonprez lab at Institut Pasteur Paris in collaboration with the Group of Ignacio Garcia Verdugo at Institut Cochin. Project mRNA-Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) vaccines offer a unique and versatile technological platform enabling vaccination against emerging pathogens.

Despite major successes in SARS-CoV2 vaccination, mRNA vaccines elicit CD8+ T cell responses that are less potent and long-lasting than other non-replicative viruses for instance. Also, the mechanisms underlying the activation of T cell responses against mRNA vaccines remain poorly understood. In this context, induction of long lasting CD8 and CD4 memory T cells endowed with long lasting residency in the upper respiratory tract remain a highly pursued objective in vaccination against airborne viruses.

Dendritic

Cells (DCs) Are The Sentinel Of The Immune System. DCs Are Important For Vaccination Because DC-deficient Murine Models Have Evidenced That They Control Vaccine-induced Immunity. DCs Are Developmentally And Functionally Heterogeneous And Encompass Multiple Subsets Including XCR1+IRF8+ DCs, And a Variety Of IRF4+ DCs (DC2As, DC2Bs, DC3s) And Plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs And PDCs-like).

Some DCs Can Uptake LNPs And Express LNPs (direct Presentation), Acquire Antigen Form Other Cells (cross-priming) Or Even Acquire MHC-peptide Complex From Other Cells (cross-dressing). DC Participate To The Innate Sensing Of Vaccinal MRNA, But These Responses Need To Be Adjusted To Optimize The Induction Of T And B Cell Memory.

The General Objectives Of This Project

Are to improve mRNA vaccines through a better understanding of DC involvement in vaccine-induced immunity.

to design and evaluate modification of mRNA vaccines ensure an optimal handling of antigens by DCs optimizing T and B cell responses and increasing anti-infectious protection. This project will be developed in the context of an influenza vaccine already developed in the laboratory using B (HA) and conserved T cell epitopes (NP) from H1N1/PR8 influenza strain. This vaccine provides homologous and some level of heterologous protection.

Mission: The specific objectives of the M2 are: 1°) To test the involvement of DCs using vaccination in control vs DC-deficient engineered mice. T7 promoter compatible DNA templates are available for HA and NP antigens. Using in vitro transcription methods in place in the applicant lab, we will produce capped mRNA encoding for antigens.

We will produce Lipid Nano Particles carrying mRNA to be tested using techniques in place in the laboratory. LNP-mRNA vaccine will be injected twice (prime/boost) in WT vs DC-deficient mice (SiglecHcrexPacsinLsL-DTA,



e.g.). In both groups, we will assess T and B cell responses against NP and HA influenza antigens.

This will be achieved by immunological assays (poly-functional cytokine secretion assay after peptide specific restimulation, ELISPOT for antibodies against HA protein) in place in the laboratory. 2°) To produce and evaluate mRNA encoding for antigens and adjuvant factors. mRNA encoding for adjuvant factors will be produced as above. These mRNA will be validated in vitro for their ability to produce protein of interest using transfection in cells in culture (ELISA, FACS). LNPs mRNA carrying antigen or antigen and adjuvant mRNA will be injected by intra-muscular route and we will characterize DC and other infiltrates by FACS at vaccine draining site and migratory DCs in vaccine draining lymph nodes (or other lymph nodes).

Subsequently, we will decipher the impact of mRNA encoded adjuvants on the activation of T and B cell responses against NP and HA influenza antigens. This will be achieved by immunological assays (polyfunctional cytokine secretion assay after peptide specific restimulation, ELISPOT for antibodies against HA protein) in place in the laboratory.

Profile

We are looking for highly motivated individuals considering pursuing their M2 with a PhD in vaccine immunology.

The Candidate Is Expected To

Have A keen interest for adaptive immunity, anti-infectious vaccines A keen interest for biochemistry and vaccine technology

Motivation to work with pre-clinical model of vaccination and infection based on animal experimentation.

Dynamism, self-organization, autonomy and drive. Interest for computing biology (R programming, image analysis) will be an additional asset. Contact & Applications Applications should be sent to [email protected] and [email protected] “Dendritic cells and adaptive immunity” Unit, Immunology Department, Institut Pasteur.

XCR1+ and IRF4+ migratory dendritic cells cooperate for the cross-priming of intratumoral CD8+ T cells with a tissue-resident memory phenotype. Vaudiau N., Bourdely P., Ok A., Semitekolou M., Gorline L., Savoldelli R., Gerber-Ferder Y., Luiz Rosa do Carmo F., Semervil A., Vétillard M., Rood A., Bouallègue S., Pamboukas K., Borneres J., Darasse-Jèze G., L Gautier E., Dalod M., Tartour E., Bergsbaken T., P J M Van Gisbergen K., Hodivala-Dilke K., Saveanu L., Helft J., Benvenuti F., Guermonprez. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6455825/v1 Nature Communications. 2026.

In press. Intratumoral delivery of FLT3L with CXCR3/CCR5 ligands promotes XCR1+ cDC1 infiltration and activates anti-tumor immunity. Gorline L, do Carmo FLR, Bourdely P, Bornères J, Vaudiau N, Semervil A, Vetillard M, Coulibaly ASK, Jugniot N, Ok A, Bausart M, Fiquet O, Andrade M, Fardol D, Haddar I, Abou Nader Z, Weber J, Theobald H, Collin M, Calmette J, Anselmi G, Fico F, Ginhoux F, Majlessi L, Gautier EL, Saveanu L, Helft J, Dalod M, Dusseaux M, Di Santo JP, Hugues S,



Guermonprez P.

Nature

Communications. 2025 Dec 30;17(1):1258. Dendritic cell-targeted therapy expands CD8 T cell responses to bona-fide neoantigens in lung tumors. López L, Morosi LG, La Terza F, Bourdely P, Rospo G, Amadio R, Piperno GM, Russo V, Volponi C, Vodret S, Joshi S, Giannese F, Lazarevic D, Germano G, Stoitzner P, Bardelli A, Dalod M, Pace L, Caronni N, Guermonprez P, Benvenuti F.

Nature

Communications. 2024 Mar 13;15(1):2280. Tissue-resident FOLR2+ macrophages associate with CD8+ T cell infiltration in human breast cancer.

Nalio

Ramos R, Missolo-Koussou Y, Gerber-Ferder Y, Bromley CP, Bugatti M, Núñez NG, Tosello Boari J, Richer W, Menger L, Denizeau J, Sedlik C, Caudana P, Kotsias F, Niborski LL, Viel S, Bohec M, Lameiras S, Baulande S, Lesage L, Nicolas A, Meseure D, Vincent-Salomon A, Reyal F, Dutertre CA, Ginhoux F, Vimeux L, Donnadieu E, Buttard B, Galon J, Zelenay S, Vermi W, Guermonprez P, Piaggio E, Helft J. Cell. 2022 Mar 31;185(7):1189-1207.e25. Transcriptional and Functional Analysis of CD1c+ Human Dendritic Cells Identifies a CD163+ Subset Priming CD8+CD103+ T Cells.

Bourdely P, Anselmi G, Vaivode K, Ramos RN, Missolo-Koussou Y, Hidalgo S, Tosselo J, Nuñez N, Richer W, Vincent-Salomon A, Saxena A, Wood K, Lladser A, Piaggio E, Helft J, Guermonprez P. Immunity. 2020 Aug 18;53(2):335-352.e8. Engineered niches support the development of human dendritic cells in humanized mice.

Anselmi G, Vaivode K, Dutertre CA, Bourdely P, Missolo-Koussou Y, Newell E, Hickman O, Wood K, Saxena A, Helft J, Ginhoux F, Guermonprez P. Nat Commun. 2020 Apr 28;11(1):2054. You might be interested in PhD position to study the molecular basis of niche specificity in Candida albicans Job Postdoc position in Human Genetics to study genetics of brain diversity in autism Job Postdoc position: epigenetics of the malaria parasite Job Postdoctoral position – Statistical genetic and Asthma Job Protein trafficking : how do trains find the right tracks ?

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