CV Science

Gwenaël RABUT Ubiquitylation and Neddylation

Course and current status

• 2009-Present: Project Leader at IGDR, CNRS, Rennes, France.

• 2009-Present: INSERM Researcher.

• 2005-2009: Post-doctoral position in Matthias Peter laboratory, ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland.

• 2000-2004: PhD in Jan Ellenberg laboratory, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany.

Scientific summary

PhD and master projects are available in my team, do not hesitate to contact me!

PhD Project: Nuclear ubiquitylation networks

Ubiquitylation is a versatile posttranslational protein modification that regulates the activity of thousands of cellular proteins and is thereby involved in the control of most - if not all - cellular processes, including DNA transcription, cell cycle progression or apoptosis. This pervasive role of ubiquitylation in cell biology is reflected in a broad range of diseases from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders that have been linked to defects in the ubiquitylation machinery. Unravelling the molecular details of its functions is therefore of highest interest.

The aim of this PhD project is to investigate at a network level the molecular function of poorly-studied ubiquitylation enzymes that have essential roles in the nucleus. We will especially seek to profile the range of substrates of the enzymes of interest and to dissect how ubiquitylation regulates the activity of these substrates. This will be done using a combination of biochemical, genetic and microscopy approaches that recently enabled us to uncover a new quality control mechanism at the inner nuclear membrane (Khmelinskii et al., 2014 Nature 516:410-1).

The project is funded by the University of Rennes 1 and will be performed under the supervision of Gwenaël Rabut at the Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (France) (http://igdr.univ-rennes1.fr/english/) in close collaboration with the laboratory of Michael Knop at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) (http://www.knoplab.de/). Several exchanges will be organised between the two labs during the course of the PhD project.

Interested candidates should send their CV and a letter of motivation to Gwenaël Rabut (gwenael.rabut@inserm.fr) and provide the names and contact details of at least two references.

Master Project: Ubiquitylation in response to DNA damage

In this project, we propose to investigate how nuclear ubiquitylation contributes to the cellular response to DNA damage. To achieve this goal, we have already developed an original strategy in budding yeast that enables to strongly and specifically enrich nuclear ubiquitylated proteins after DNA damage. Such proteins have be identified by proteomics and their modification will now be characterized using a combination of biochemical, genetic and live cell imaging approaches.

This project will be performed under the supervision of Gwenaël Rabut at the Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (IGDR) (http://igdr.univ-rennes1.fr/english/). The IGDR comprises 20 research groups addressing a wide range of subjects in cell biology and benefits from excellent core facilities, such as state-of-the-art microscopy and genomics centers.

Rennes is a lively city located in the North-West of France, with fast and direct access to Paris (2 hours by train). Its rich student life, its strong music and food heritage and its proximity to the coast make it a very welcoming and pleasant place to live.

Interested candidates should send their CV and a letter of motivation to Gwenaël Rabut (gwenael.rabut@inserm.fr) and provide the name and contact details of at least one reference.