Biologist Engineer (F/M) – Cell Engineering and Automation

Laboratory / Unit

This position is based in the Mammalian Biofoundry at Institut Curie (IC). This platform is a key part of the Paris Biofoundry, a collaborative initiative that aims to speed up synthetic biology in the Île-de-France region. The Mammalian Biofoundry focuses on cell line engineering and phenotyping.

The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Pascal Hersen (Director of the IC Biofoundry) and in close collaboration with Elaine Del Nery (Head of the BioPhenics platform) and Mathieu Coppey (Head of the Molecular and Cellular Biology facility of UMR168). The candidate will work closely with the three members of the robotics platform (automation of cell culture and transfection), as well as with the two engineers of the UMR168 molecular and cellular biology facility (production of plasmids and working cell lines). This recruitment is part of the ramp‑up phase of the activities at Institut Curie.

Main duties

The main purpose of this role is to set up a high-throughput production activity for stable cell lines, ensuring a smooth pipeline between the DNA Biofoundry (Sorbonne) and the Mammalian Biofoundry (Curie).

The engineer will act as an interface with project teams to understand each project’s needs and translate them into protocols for cell line production.

Main activities

• Cell engineering and high-throughput production: Adapt and optimize culture and transfection conditions for a wide range of mammalian cell lines; Design and implement plasmid transfection protocols (lipofection, electroporation) at robotic scale; Operate and program robotic liquid-handling systems (Hamilton) and acoustic transfer technologies for transfection and fluid handling; Define and apply selection protocols (antibiotic resistance, flow cytometry sorting) and isolate monoclonal clones, then expand them.
• Characterisation, imaging and analysis (high-content screening): Validate generated clones using confocal cell imaging approaches (high-content screening); Characterise produced cell lines by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry to ensure insert stability and functionality; Ensure full traceability of the process and analyse data from imaging and quality controls.
• Activity management and platform operations: Be responsible for maintaining, characterising and cryopreserving cell lines; Write and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure reproducible high-throughput work; Manage stocks of consumables needed for cell culture and follow preventive maintenance of shared equipment (incubators, biosafety cabinets).

Role specifics

• Focus: high-throughput cell engineering and robotic automation (confocal microscopy, robotics) to support complex cell-model development.
• Work environment: frequent collaboration with DNA Biofoundry teams; biosafety level 2 lab; intensive use of Hamilton/acoustic transfer robotics and automated confocal microscopy: ImageXpress.ai.