Synthesis of multifunctional conjugates based on carbon nanotubes and plasmonic nanoparticles for biomedical applications

 

PhD in codirection within the Laboratory “Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry” (Strasbourg, France) and the Laboratory “Physical-Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems” (Paris, France)

PhD supervisors: Cécilia MENARD-MOYON & Ali ABOU-HASSAN

Interested candidates must apply on this website https://bit.ly/3uAiWbo before 4th May 2021 with a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and the contacts of three reference persons.

The PhD will start on 1st October 2021.

 

Project description

Nanomedicine is an interdisciplinary field of study closely related to nanotechnology and the medical applications of nanomaterials, which applies the knowledge and tools of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease. In this context, the objective of the PhD project is to synthesize hybrid multifunctional conjugates based on carbon nanotubes and plasmonic nanoparticles (e.g. gold nanoparticles), which will be exploited to develop new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.1,2

The candidate will acquire knowledge on the synthesis, chemical functionalization of nanomaterials, and their physicochemical properties for biomedical applications.

The project will cover the synthesis of plasmonic nanoparticles, the decoration of carbon nanotubes with these nanomaterials, as well as the functionalization of the conjugates with molecules of therapeutic interest and their physicochemical characterization. The enzymatic biodegradability of the conjugates will be also studied. This project will be developed in two research units with complementary expertise:

1) “Immunology, Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry” (CNRS UPR 3572, I2CT) which belongs to the CNRS and is located at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology in Strasbourg (France). The research unit has a unique and internationally recognized expertise in autoimmune diseases and nanomedicine, in particular on the development of carbon nanomaterials for biomedical applications and the evaluation of their potential toxicity.3

2) “Physical-Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems” (UMR CNRS 8234, PHENIX), which is a joint research unit of CNRS and Sorbonne University, based in Paris and composed of three research teams and two transversal axes. The activity of the Team “Inorganic Colloids”, in which the candidate will be integrated, is centered around three themes: (i) the development of processes for the synthesis and dispersion of magnetic / plasmonic inorganic nanoparticles; (ii) nanometric and micrometric particles in the context of biomedical applications; (iii) multi-scale magnetic materials for the environment.4

 

Candidate profile and recruitment procedure

The candidate must have a master’s degree, or equivalent research experience, with a solid background in chemistry, in particular in the physico-chemistry of materials, organic chemistry, and / or in related disciplines.

The candidate must be an independent, well-organized and rigorous person. He / she must have good interpersonal skills. He / she must manage his own research and coordinate the different aspects of the work to meet deadlines. He / she must provide ideas for new research projects, carry out scientific bibliography, compile results for publication in peer-reviewed journals and present the results orally. He / she should actively participate in laboratory meetings.

 

References

(1) Soltani R, Guo S, Bianco A, Ménard-Moyon C. Adv. Therap. 2020, 3 2000051. (2) Cazares-Cortes E, Cabana S, Boitard C, Nehlig E, Griffete N, Fresnais J, Wilhelm C, Abou-Hassan A, Ménager C. Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2019, 138, 233. (3) Tîlmaciu CM, Dinesh B, Pellerano M, Diot S, Guidetti M, Vollaire J, Bianco A, Ménard-Moyon C, Josserand V, Morris MC. Small 2021, 17, 2007177. (4) Espinosa A, Bugnet M, Radtke G, Neveu S, Botton GA, Wilhelm C, Abou-Hassan A. Nanoscale 2015, 7, 18872.