The Public Research Centre - Gabriel Lippmann, a public establishment for applied scientific research and technology transfer, has an opening for a fixed-term position for its "Science and Analysis of Materials" department (SAM) that focuses in the following fields: nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, smart functional materials, surface treatment and thin films, development of nano-analytical instrumentation and advanced characterization of materials for:
A PhD thesis position (m/f)
(ref: SAM-20140805-PHDMETABIO)
Topic: Elaboration of novel antibacterial implant surfaces based on the attachment of biomolecules on a bioinspired functional plasma thin film.
Description of the position:
The PhD position is opened in the framework of the European METABIO project in partnership with the University of Liège (Ulg, Belgium), a start-up company (Belgium) and two industrial companies in Luxembourg and in Italy.
The research project aims at developing a novel surface treatment conferring antibacterial and Osseo integration properties to dental implant surfaces. The PhD work will contribute to a deeper understanding of a plasma bio-inspired film growth mechanism and of the chemical kinetics between biomolecules and plasma coated surfaces. In this study, biomolecules will include peptides, proteins or enzymes with bactericidal and antibiofilm properties.
The PhD work will be organized around the different following tasks:
- the PhD student will participate to the set-up of a plasma process able to deposit a functional bioinspired
thin film on 3D dental implants.
- she/he will investigate the influence of the different process parameters (i.e, electrical discharge
power and mode, precursor flow…) on the deposited layer properties. For that, she/he will carry out
the layer characterization by combining different analytical techniques such as FT-IR, XPS, UV, SEM
and AFM analyses.
- she/he will also be in charge of the biomolecule immobilization on the plasma deposited film. In
particular, immobilization conditions, such as pH, ionic strength or temperature of the solution, will
be optimised to ensure a fast and efficient biomolecule attachment.
With strong analytical and synthetic skills, the PhD student will have to establish clear correlations between layers chemistry/morphology, antibacterial-Osseo integration properties and cellular response for dental applications.
At the end of the project, it is planned to transfer the technology for the treatment of 3D dental implants and to validate the concept through in-vitro tests.
Profile:
-A master degree in sciences, preferably in chemistry, biomaterials or surface sciences
-The candidate has to be motivated, to be structured and self-responsible.
-The applicant must show his/her willingness to develop good skills in the fields of experimental
investigations and characterization techniques.
-Good spoken and written English is mandatory, knowledge of French would be an asset
Candidates interested in the above position can apply online. The application file should include a CV, a motivation letter, the names of two or three referees, the last diploma and marks obtained at the university.
For any question regarding our job offers or the application process, please contact our recruitment team at recrutement@lippmann.lu
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