Doctorant (M/F) in physical chemistry of polymers

Job Description

Thesis Subject

mRNA-based therapies have emerged as an effective approach for treating diseases with known genetic targets, such as cancers, immune and infectious diseases, and neurological disorders. The success of mRNA therapy depends on the development of safe and effective delivery systems. One possible strategy is to use a polycation as a vector by complexing it with the mRNA. A key challenge is identifying a polymer capable of sufficiently complexing mRNA to protect it from enzymatic degradation, yet not so tightly that it prevents the release of the mRNA once it reaches its target, thereby ensuring therapeutic action. The project aims to use a comb-shaped polyarginine developed by our team that exhibits thermoresponsive behavior to release the mRNA in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. The objective of the doctoral project will be to prepare monodisperse coacervates with a diameter of less than 200 nm. A study of the internal structure of these coacervates will be conducted to gain a better understanding of this system. As the project is a collaboration with Matthew Tirrell's group, the doctoral student will be required to conduct experiments at the University of Chicago (USA).

Your Work Environment

The Institut Charles Sadron (ICS, UPR22) is a CNRS unit affiliated with the University of Strasbourg. This multidisciplinary institute, dedicated to the science of polymers and self-assembled systems, comprises 49 researchers, 34 research support staff, and 100 non-permanent staff (doctoral students, postdocs, and interns). The ICS has characterization platforms (UV-Vis and IR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, light scattering, etc.) and microscopy platforms (electron and atomic force microscopy). Supervised by Fouzia Boulmedais (senior CNRS researcher) and Delphine Chan-Seng (associate CNRS researcher), the doctoral student will work in the Sustainable (Bio)materials: Self-Assembly of Peptides and Polymers (IRIS) team at the ICS. He/she will be depending from the ED222 doctoral school. For more information, please visit the website: https://www.ics-cnrs.unistra.fr/
The institute is easily accessible by public transportation and the doctoral student will have access to the campus dining.

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

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