Post-doc en Polymer/polysaccharide chemistry (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

Polysaccharides represent a remarkable class of biopolymers, endowed with unique properties that clearly differentiate them from synthetic polymers. Naturally biocompatible and biodegradable, they can also exhibit biological activities that are particularly interesting for the development of biomaterials in the biomedical field. Among them, some polysaccharides have original behaviors related to their ability to undergo a helix-to-coil transition, sensitive to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, or the presence of ions. These conformational changes directly influence key properties such as their viscosity, their gelation capacity, and their structural stability, thus opening up new pathways toward the design of stimuli-responsive biomaterials.
In this context, we are offering a postdoctoral project at the interface between chemistry, biochemistry, and biomaterials science, aimed at exploring and exploiting the potential of an original bacterial polysaccharide. The candidate will develop innovative chemo-enzymatic strategies to precisely tailor the polymer structure and investigate how these modifications influence its temperature-dependent conformational behavior.
This project aims to better understand the structure-property relationships of these complex systems and to establish key principles for the rational design of polysaccharide hydrogels with a programmable thermal response. Ultimately, this work could contribute to the development of new-generation dynamic biomaterials for advanced biomedical applications.
This postdoctoral position offers the opportunity to join a multidisciplinary project combining polymer chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and biomaterials engineering, within a stimulating and innovative research environment.

Activity

- Controlled chemical and enzymatic modification of polysaccharides
- Structural and physicochemical characterization of polymers in solution
- Scientific writing, including reports and research articles

Your Profil

Skills

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a PhD in polymer chemistry and a good knowledge of polymer characterization techniques (SEC, DSC, NMR, etc.). Knowledge of the chemistry of polysaccharides and/or biomolecules is an asset. The ability to work in a team, in an interdisciplinary environment, and good communication skills are essential as the postdoctoral researcher will work with several CERMAV researchers and engineers with complementary expertise in chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and physical chemistry. He or she will also be required to supervise Master's interns.

Your Work Environment

The postdoctoral researcher will work at the CERMAV (CNRS Research Unit), located on the Grenoble university campus. Our laboratory is based on a strong culture of interdisciplinarity, bringing together expertise in chemistry, physicochemistry, biology, and materials science. This integrated approach allows it to occupy an important place today, at the international level, in key research areas of carbohydrates (mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides): their synthesis in vivo and in vitro, their characterization, as well as their functions and applications to respond to major societal challenges in the fields of human health, new energies, and materials of the future.
The work will be carried out in close collaboration with several researchers and engineers at CERMAV with complementary skills covering the production of enzymes, oligo- and polysaccharides by recombinant means, the structural and macromolecular characterization of polysaccharides by NMR and chromatography, radiation scattering techniques, microscopy, and rheometry, as part of a project funded by CNRS Chimie.

Constraints and risks

Start date: September 1st, 2026

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

From 3041€ gross per month, depending on professional experience and CNRS scale

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions