PhD Researcher in Medicinal Chemistry M/W: Design of smart sustained-release drug delivery systems: synthesis, characterization and applications in nano-medicines

19 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

CNRS CBMN UMR 5248

Research Field

Chemistry

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
Leading Researcher (R4)
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

France

Application Deadline

17 Apr 2024 - 22:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Offer Starting Date

2 Sep 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The discovery of liposomes more than 60 years ago predicted a paradigm shift in the design and administration of future drugs using nanotechnologies. However, despite their undeniable advantages (e.g., increased biocompatibility, modularity, versatility of payloads, etc.), this vectorization system still suffers from an early loss of their cargo, limiting its popularization in clinics.

Supported in its 1st phase by the Initiative of Excellence (IdEx - Univ Bordeaux; NanoPRECOS project), our group has recently validated a proof of concept to improve the stability of amphiphilic nanoparticles (e.g. liposomes) through a simple and effective approach: we have designed and synthesized bola-amphiphiles as key compounds to be incorporated in amphiphilic drug delivery systems (DDS), like  bolasomes. The current doctoral project aims to optimize the bolas identified previously in the laboratory in order to bring this technology to a clinical application in cancer therapy. Several chemical modifications are to be investigated in order to target: (1) a sustained-drug release (2) a stimuli-triggered drug release (e.g. light, pH, etc.).

The current PhD project (Design of smart SUstained-RElease drug delivery systems: synthesis, characterization  and applications in nano-medicines - NANO-SURE) is being developed in collaboration with our national partners (IECB, BRIC - Bordeaux) and international partners (Phospholipid Research Center - Germany).

Bibliography :

Wires nanomed nanobiotechnol (2017) 9:e1450. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1450

Micromachines 13 (2022) 1623, doi:10.3390/mi13101623

Nature Communications 14 (2023) 6659, doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41946-8

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 653 (2024) 1792, doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.09.195

Funding category: Contrat doctoral
secured MESRI Scholarship
PHD title: PhD in Medicinal Chemistry
PHD Country: France

Requirements
Specific Requirements

The doctoral candidate should have undeniable qualities in organic chemistry. A multi-step approach is envisaged to access targeted molecules, involving standard methods of heterocyclic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, peptide couplings, etc. The ability to acquire new techniques in analytical chemistry, formulation and characterization of nano-assemblies (HPLC, DLS, FCS, cryo-TEM, etc.) is also essential for the success of the project. The choice of molecules to be synthesized will be guided by molecular modeling studies (coarse-grained molecular dynamics) conducted by our group.

Activities:

multi-step organic synthesis (Michel additions, heterocyclic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, amphiphilic chemistry, orthogonal protective groups, fluorophores, etc.); analytical characterization of the synthesized chemicals: NMR, MS, IR, UV/Vis, Fluorescence spectroscopy, HPLC); bibliography; regular reports and work-in-progress meetings in English; scientific article writing.

 

Skills:

- organic chemistry: multistep synthetic chemistry

- analytical chemistry: NMR, MS, IR, UV/Vis, FS, HPLC

- professional English necessary to work in an international environment

 

Salary:

- approx. 1700 eur net / month (the funding was already secured by the host group)

 

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

CNRS CBMN UMR 5248

Country

France

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.abg.asso.fr/fr/candidatOffres/show/id_offre/121369

Contact

Website

http://www.cbmn.u-bordeaux.fr

STATUS: EXPIRED