Senior lecturer and Researcher in Marine Biology & Aquaculture, leading innovative studies on environmental adaptation of marine organisms while managing academic and administrative duties.
1-PROFILE
Teaching levels:
– Bachelor’s degree (Licence) ☑
– Master’s degree
Relevant degree programs -Bachelor’s in Life Sciences / Life and Earth Sciences, Master’s in Marine Sciences
Subjects taught: Animal Biology, Cell Biology, Comparative Biology and Physiology, Physiology of aquatic organisms
Teaching objectives / responsibilities:
The successful candidate will join the teaching team of the Department of Biology and Earth Sciences within the Faculty of Science. At the Bachelor’s level (Life Sciences program), the candidate will teach courses in animal biology and physiology with a comparative approach. At the Master’s practical training level, the candidate will be expected to supervise and manage zootechnical experimental work conducted by students in the professional Master’s track (Master 2) in Marine Sciences.
National and International Collaborative Projects:
The recruited professor will integrate into ongoing research projects and contribute their expertise. These infrastructures will support the development of their research activities. The candidate will also rely on an established network of researchers in order to apply for competitive national and international funding calls, with strong links to regional scientific priorities. The professor is expected to play a leading and proactive role in developing national and international collaborative projects and may coordinate ambitious, innovative, and multidisciplinary research projects in response to various funding calls.
Scientific Responsibilities
The recruited professor will participate in the coordination and development of the research activities of the team. They will develop research addressing scientific questions related to marine and freshwater aquaculture, combining zootechnical and physiological approaches. They will contribute to the evolution and definition of research questions addressed by the MERSEA laboratory.
Responsibilities include:
- Supervising Master’s and PhD students
- Participating in the management of aquaculture facilities operated by the MERSEA laboratory at the Luc-sur-Mer Marine Station
Required Teaching Expertise
The professor should have strong expertise in:
- Animal Biology
- Cell Biology
- Comparative Biology and Physiology
Additional knowledge in zootechnical applications related to the physiology of aquatic animals (vertebrates and mollusks) will be appreciated at the Master’s level.
Pedagogical and Administrative Responsibilities
The candidate must demonstrate significant experience in teaching responsibilities. They may be required to assume responsibilities in:
- the Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences
- and/or the Master’s degree in Marine Sciences
They will also represent the MERSEA laboratory through elected mandates in university governing bodies related to teaching and research structures (faculty, department, research platforms, etc.).
III. RESEARCH PROFILE
The recruited professor will join the MERSEA Laboratory (UR 7482).
The laboratory aims to understand the evolution of marine biodiversity and ecosystems under environmental constraints such as:
- climate change
- anthropogenic pressures
Research is structured around two complementary scales:
- PHARE team – regulation of physiology from molecule to organism
- FORSEAS team – from organism to ecosystem
The laboratory studies environmental pressures both from:
- global perspectives (warming, pollution, anthropogenic impacts)
- local applications (fisheries and aquaculture in the English Channel and internationally)
A key transversal theme is the integration of adaptive processes from the molecular level to ecosystems.
Studies
The laboratory works on several model organisms, including:
- Microalgae
- Macroalgae
- Mollusks
- Chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fishes)
- Teleost fishes
Research Infrastructure
MERSEA relies on two local infrastructures:
- CREC – Luc-sur-Mer Marine Station
- EMERODE Service Unit and its technological platforms:
- PROTEOGEN
- CBM – Algobank
- PLATIN’
- CMABIO
These infrastructures allow:
- access to marine environments
- in situ studies
- controlled experimental conditions
- molecular and cellular analyses using state-of-the-art technologies.
Research Federation
The research unit is affiliated with the MerLiN Federation (MER Littoral Normand), which promotes multidisciplinary research on marine biodiversity and ecosystems in Normandy, with international collaborations including:
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands
- Czech Republic
- Côte d’Ivoire
The laboratory collaborates with both public institutions (universities, analytical laboratories) and private partners (hatcheries and aquaculture companies).
PHARE Research Team
The PHARE team (Physiology of Aquatic Species: Regulation from Genes to Organisms) studies molecular regulation of physiological processes in aquatic organisms.
Research spans multiple levels of observation:
- gene
- cell
- tissue
- organism
Regulation is studied both:
Intrinsic mechanisms
- gene expression regulation (cis and trans)
- neuroendocrine communication
- cellular signaling
Extrinsic mechanisms
- environmental influence
- acclimation to external stimuli
Key biological processes include:
- reproduction physiology (sexual determination, gametogenesis, spawning)
- development (ontogeny)
- organismal stability under environmental change.
Main Research Axes
Axis 1 – Molecular and Cellular Determinants of Biological Cycles
This axis investigates the cellular and molecular pathways controlling key stages of biological cycles, particularly:
- reproduction
- development
Focus areas include:
- regulation of gene expression
- epigenetic mechanisms
- neuroendocrine signaling
- immune and nutritional signaling
- sex determination mechanisms.
Axis 2 – Adaptive and Evolutionary Consequences of Physiological Plasticity
This axis examines how physiological regulatory systems respond to environmental changes, including:
- climate warming
- pollution
- anthropogenic disturbances
The goal is to understand adaptive and evolutionary consequences, especially in relation to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Research also addresses:
- transgenerational effects
- epigenetic inheritance
- modeling approaches.
Methods and Approaches
The team uses complementary techniques including:
- Genetics and epigenetics (qPCR, NGS sequencing, Nanopore sequencing, bioinformatics)
- Transcriptomics, proteomics and peptidomics
- Cell culture and cell sorting
- Histology and microscopy
- Molecular labeling and hybridization
- Functional in vivo and in vitro experiments
- Gene editing
- Field studies
- Experimental aquaculture
- Physiological modeling (DEB models)
Experiments take place both in controlled environments at the Luc-sur-Mer Marine Station and in natural marine settings.
Application Procedure
Applications must be submitted via the ODYSSEE platform of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
Candidates must:
- Create an account to obtain a candidate number and password, or Log in with previously issued credentials. Applicants must select the appropriate application type:
- transfer (mutation)
- secondment (détachement)
- competitive recruitment
- foreign candidate
All required documents must be uploaded before validating the application.
Application / Candidacy Period
Open from:
March 3, 2026 (10:00 AM)
to
April 3, 2026 (4:00 PM)
Candidates are advised not to wait until the last days for submit.
Required Documents
According to the Ministerial Decree of February 6, 2023, documents written partly or entirely in a foreign language must include a French translation certified by the candidate.
Additionally:
- analytical presentations must be translated into French
- publications in foreign languages must include a French summary
Otherwise, the application will be declared inadmissible.
Only the documents required by the decree must be submitted.
Not accepted:
- cover letters
- recommendation letters
Incomplete applications will be rejected.
Contact Information
Teaching inquiries:
Catherine Bauge – catherine.bauge@unicaen.fr
Joël Henry – joel.henry@unicaen.fr
Research inquiries:
Guillaume Rivière – guillaume.riviere@unicaen.fr
Céline Zatylny-Gaudin – celine.gaudin@unicaen.fr
Administrative inquiries:
Ingrid Laignel – ingrid.laignel@unicaen.fr