Translational Pharmacology & Microbiology Intern

Join our Translational Pharmacology team, based in Paris, as an intern (for a minimum period of 5 months) and contribute to the development of innovative preclinical models to test the efficacy of Eligobiotics®. You will be supervised by a translational scientist specialized in skin immunology and microbiology, and work closely with an international team at the interface of microbiology and drug development.

Eligo Bioscience develops a new class of biotherapeutics called Eligobiotics® that enable precision-editing of the microbiome. These phage-derived particles deliver synthetic DNA payloads into bacteria in situ. Eligobiotics® are developed for three types of applications:

1. Sequence‑specific antimicrobials: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express a CRISPR‑Cas complex. An RNA guides the CRISPR‑Cas complex to a specific complementary DNA sequence (target sequence), causing double‑strand breaks and the subsequent death of the bacteria. Only bacteria carrying the specific target DNA sequence are killed, while other bacteria remain intact.

2. Gene editing: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express a base editor complex. An RNA guide steers the base editor complex to a specific complementary DNA sequence (target sequence), leading to the substitution of a selected nucleotide with another. Specific mutations can be introduced without killing the bacteria.

3. Function addition to the microbiome: Eligobiotics® deliver a DNA payload into specific bacteria, which then express one or multiple transgenes of interest. The protein of interest is typically a therapeutic protein.

YOUR MISSION

During the internship, you will contribute to the development and optimization of ex vivo preclinical models to evaluate the performance of Eligobiotics®. This will involve:

• Setting up microbiome models relevant to human skin for Eligobiotic® testing.
• Applying Eligobiotics® to these models and evaluating impact on commensal bacteria and drug delivery.
• Carrying out microbiological assays such as plating, colony‑forming unit (CFU) quantification, and bacterial isolation.
• Performing molecular biology techniques (e.g., (dd)PCR, NGS sequencing) to analyze microbial composition and characterize microbial communities in human‑derived samples, thereby supporting model design and validation.

APPLICANT PROFILE

• Master’s or Engineering student in microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, or a related life sciences field (from an EU country).
• Strong foundation in microbiology techniques (sterile handling, plating, CFU counting, bacterial isolation).
• Experience with molecular biology methods (PCR based methods DNA/RNA extraction and purification) required; familiarity with microbial community characterization is a plus.
• Prior exposure to skin models, tissue explants, or human‑derived samples is desirable.
• Comfortable working in a multi‑disciplinary and international environment, with excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written).
• Demonstrated autonomy, initiative, adaptability, and team spirit.
• Motivated, detail‑oriented, and eager to contribute to translational drug development research.