PhD in Prebiotic Systems Chemistry (M/F/X)
New
- FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
- 36 months
- BAC+5
This offer is available in English version
This offer is open to people with a document recognizing their status as a disabled worker.
Offer at a glance
The Unit
Institut de Chimie de Nice
Contract Type
FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
Working hHours
Full Time
Workplace
06108 NICE
Contract Duration
36 months
Date of Hire
04/01/2027
Remuneration
2300 € gross monthly
Apply Application Deadline : 28 October 2026 23:59
Job Description
Thesis Subject
--PhD topic: Evolution and amplification of chirality under prebiotic conditions
This PhD project will be carried out at the Institut de Chimie de Nice as part of the ICE-EEVOLVE project, funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant. It aims to understand how physicochemical processes in extraterrestrial environments can preserve or amplify enantiomeric imbalances, thereby shedding light on the origin of biological homochirality.
The research will focus particularly on the evolution of molecules of prebiotic interest, such as amino acids and sugars, during the aqueous alteration of organic matter in the presence of minerals. Laboratory experiments simulating these environments will be combined with advanced chromatographic and spectrometric techniques to monitor chemical transformations and the enantiomeric composition of the products.
Your Work Environment
The emergence of homochirality, particularly the predominance of left-handed (L-) amino acids in terrestrial biology, remains one of the most fascinating questions in research on the origin of life. Meteorites provide evidence that this molecular asymmetry predates the formation of Earth and may have originated in cold, water-rich ices irradiated by circularly polarized starlight.
As part of the ICE-EEVOLVE project, we aim to understand how chiral organic molecules trapped in amorphous ice matrices evolve from molecular clouds to star-forming regions and subsequently to planetary systems. Laboratory simulations reproducing realistic astrophysical conditions will shed light on the mechanisms of asymmetric photochemistry and subsequent transformation processes following irradiation.
Key references:
i) Ionizing radiation exposure on Arrokoth shapes a sugar world. PNAS 121, e2320215121 (2024).
ii) Resolution and quantification of carbohydrates by enantioselective comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. Talanta 271, 125728 (2024).
iii) Ribose and related sugars from ultraviolet irradiation of interstellar ice analogues. Science 352, 208–212 (2016).
Constraints and risks
-
Compensation and benefits
Compensation
2300 € gross monthly
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
| Offer reference | UMR7272-CORMEI-014 |
|---|---|
| CN Section(s) / Research Area | Physical chemistry, theoretical and analytic |
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.
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