3 Feb 2024
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
Nantes University- Department
Chemistry- Research Field
Chemistry » Analytical chemistry- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Country
France- Application Deadline
15 Mar 2024 - 09:00 (Europe/Paris)- Type of Contract
Temporary- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
6 May 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
Context: Oleaginous microalgae are a source of biomass rich in oil (or triacylglycerol, TAG), an energetically dense class of molecules generated by esterification of fatty acids (FAs). FAs are carbon chains of various structures, which can be of interest to different industrial sectors, from very long-chain polyunsaturated GAs for food, health and cosmetics, to monounsaturated/saturated GAs for commodity chemistry and biofuels. Oil from algae is therefore one of the most promising renewable alternatives to fossil hydrocarbons. As part of the B-BEST priority research program and equipment, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) will be studied, as it is known to produce large quantities of lipids as TAGs droplet form in the extracellular medium.
The CEISAM and GEPEA laboratories involved in the ALGADVANCE project have a 6-year collaboration in which they demonstrated, as part of the AMER-METAL project, that Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy gives precise access to the identity and quantity of microalgal lipids [1] directly on the whole biomass, thanks to high magnetic field instruments. On the other hand, compact NMR devices [2] were able to monitor the lipid production of microalgae, thanks to signal elimination from the water medium [3] during 15 days of culture by coupling a photobioreactor [4].
Objectives: The main objective will be to characterize the lipids produced by PT, using a high-field instrument (700 MHz of the CEISAM site in Nantes) to identify the different lipid classes and chains not only in extracts, but also in the challenging whole cells in vivo. In this context, we will be implementing methods that are more resolutive, faster and more sensitive, and capable of overcoming intracellular inhomogeneities. In addition, the high repeatability of NMR makes it a tool of choice for quantifying identified lipids in mixtures in cell and in the cultivation medium. Secondly, we will evaluate the performance of a 80 MHz instrument (CEISAM and GEPEA in St Nazaire sites) to validate this device for identifying and quantifying PT lipids, in comparison with information obtained at higher field at 700 MHz. Finally, we will be able to monitor PT cultures in real time by coupling the 80 MHz spectrometer to a photobioreactor as a culture seat. This part will be carried out in collaboration with the PhD student of the project working on the GEPEA site.
Environment of work: The project is being carried out in collaboration between two CNRS laboratories: CEISAM (Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité : Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation) for the analytical development side, and the GEPEA (Environnement - Agroalimentaire) process engineering laboratory for the development of processes for microalgae cultivation. CEISAM's MIMM team is renowned for its development of liquid-state NMR techniques, applying these tools to the analysis of complex mixtures, and GEPEA's BAM team for its development of breakthrough, high-productivity culture systems.
References:
[1] Dylan Bouillaud, these de doctorat, 2017-2020, Multiscale NMR analysis of the microalgae metabolism
[2] Castaing-Cordier, T.; Bouillaud, D.; Farjon, J.; Giraudeau, P. Recent Advances in Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy and Its Applications. In Annual Reports on NMR Spectroscopy; Academic Press, 2021.https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.arnmr.2021.02.003 .
[3] Bouillaud, D.; Heredia, V.; Castaing-Cordier, T.; Drouin, D.; Charrier, B.; Gonçalves, O.; Farjon, J.; Giraudeau, P. Benchtop Flow NMR Spectroscopy as an Online Device for the in Vivo Monitoring of Lipid Accumulation in Microalgae. Algal Research2019, 43, 101624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2019.101624 .
[4] Bouillaud, D.; Drouin, D.; Charrier, B.; Jacquemmoz, C.; Farjon, J.; Giraudeau, P.; Gonçalves, O. Using Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy as an Online Non-Invasive in Vivo Lipid Sensor for Microalgae Cultivated in Photobioreactors. Process Biochemistry2020, 93, 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2020.03.016 .
Requirements
- Research Field
- Chemistry » Analytical chemistry
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Profile: Candidates must hold a Master's degree in (Bio)Analytical Chemistry or Physical Chemistry and have a solid theoretical knowledge in NMR. Previous experience in this field (internship) is appreciated but not essential. The engineer will also need to be open-minded, given the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the project, carried out between two laboratories in the Nantes area. This recruitment will offer a unique opportunity to become involved in innovative developments in NMR, at the interface between spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, biology and process engineering.
This recruitment will offer a unique opportunity to an engineer with experience or a motivated PhD to invest in the application of high and low fields NMR to a better understanding of the lipidic metabolism of microalgae. The net monthly salary is between 1,500 € and 2,000 € for up to 30 months, depending on status and skills.
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
- Languages
- FRENCH
- Level
- Basic
- Research Field
- Chemistry » Analytical chemistry
- Years of Research Experience
- 1 - 4
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- CEISAM lab
- Country
- France
- City
- Nantes
- Geofield
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- GEPEA lab
- Country
- France
- City
- Saint Nazaire
- Postal Code
- 44600
- Street
- 2, boulevard de l'université
- Geofield
Where to apply
[email protected]
Contact
- City
NANTES- Website
https://ceisam.univ-nantes.fr/en/imf-team/- Street
2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208- Postal Code
44322
[email protected]
STATUS: EXPIRED