Open positions

Send a cover letter and detailed CV by e-mail at:

Vincent Humblot, CNRS Researcher, vincent.humblot@femto-st.fr

Thérèse Leblois, University Professor, therese.leblois@femto-st.fr

Context

A collaborative research project involving the FEMTO-ST institute, CSEM (SWITZERLAND) and three companies (one French and two Swiss) aims to develop new processes for depositing thin protective layers on PCBs or biosensors. This project is funded by an INTERREG project (2021-2022). As part of this project, the FEMTO-ST institute is recruiting a design engineer; this engineer will have two main missions:
1) Characterize the various thin layers by physicochemical techniques (in the lab and in the clean room)
2) Developing cleanroom biodetection devices (microfabrication) and pefomance assesment of devices.

Missions, skills and know-how

The candidate will have a background combining physical-chemistry, surface chemistry, and / or physical-chemical characterizations while having a certain experience in a clean room concerning microfabrication, or plasma techniques.

She/he will have a strong taste for experimental research and teamwork. She/he should also be ready to invest in learning new cleanroom techniques and / or characterization techniques (electron microscopy, electron spectroscopy, etc.)

Duration / salary

Duration: 12-month fixed-term contract (CDD)

Employer: University of Franche-Comté

Salary: 2500€ gross / month

Location: Besançon

Start of contract: July 2021

Environment

The FEMTO-ST institute (http://www.femto-st.fr ), is a joint research unit of more than 700 members under the supervision of the University of Franche-Comté, the CNRS, and the National School of Mechanics and Microtechnology. FEMTO-ST is also one of the largest research units nationwide in the engineering sciences. The specificity of FEMTO-ST is to associate Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies (STIC) with Engineering Sciences (SPI). FEMTO-ST has a technology center, one of the six largest in France. The work will take place within the BioMicrodevices team (https://teams.femto-st.fr//BioMicroDevices/ ) of FEMTO-ST, a multidisciplinary team which combines skills in surface physico-chemistry, development of bio- specific interfaces, and development of analytical microsystems under physiological conditions. FEMTO-ST and in particular the BioMicroDevices group is an ideal place to develop multidisciplinary and technological research activities.

Céline Elie-Caille (Institut FEMTO-ST, Besançon) – caille@femto-st.fr

Eric Lesniewska (ICB, Dijon)

Wilfrid Boireau (Institut FEMTO-ST, Besançon)

Context

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) constitutes a nano-tool perfectly suited to the qualification of biological nanoobjects and under physiological conditions. In addition, if this nanometrological investigation is carried out while these nanoobjects or subpopulations of nanoobjects of interest are captured on a sensitive and selective biodetection surface, this has the advantage of not requiring any preanalytical step. Our approach around AFM, valued through a nanobioanalytical platform (NBA) by coupling to SPR imaging technology, is now recognized (Obeid et al, Biosens Bioelec 2017 & NBM 2019).

A biochip in multiplex format and presenting several ligands is at the heart of this instrumental coupling and allows the selective trapping of the different nanoobjects of interest coexisting in the sample. The nanoobjects of interest are, in particular, extracellular vesicles (EVs), circulating in all our biological fluids, and which can be used either as potential biomarkers for various pathologies, or as therapeutic vectors. Our nanobioanalytical approach allows us to establish a complete profiling of EV populations in a biological fluid, from a phenotypic, metrological and morphomechanical point of view. 

This thesis is part of a scientific collaborative program involving the ICB lab (Dijon, France), a Japanese team (in Kwansei) and a company (Horiba company). In this program, the objectives are to increase the analytical throughput in the characterization of these EVs; this requires an evolution of the NBA platform:

• Regarding the biochip, a need for increased multiplexing, miniaturization and design adapted to AFM analysis will lead to the design and production of new generation biochips,
• Concerning the AFM acquisition module, the thesis will consist in setting up a high-speed AFM acquisition module on these SPRi multiplex biochips. A metrological but also morphomechanical characterization of the EVs subpopulations will be carried out.
• Concerning the implementation of an additional module on the analytical platform, the interest relates to obtaining spectral signatures, by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, of the EVs trapped on a multiplex biochip.

The AFM / infrared spectroscopy coupling is a technology implemented by the partner at ICB (Dijon). Collaborations with the Japanese team and the Horiba company will enable the TERS (Tip Enhanced Raman spectroscopy) method to be tested and optimized on EVs. 

PhD work

The thesis, in the field of nanoinstrumentation, and whose objective is a high-throughput and discriminating analysis of subpopulations of EVs, will therefore have as milestones:

1. the realization of nanostructured / nanopatterned biochips,
2. the implementation place of high-speed AFM technology on these high spot density biochips, and
3. the metrological, morphomechanical and spectroscopic analysis of these subpopulations of EVs on biochips.

Location

The PhD will be conducted mainly at Femto-ST, Besançon and ICB, Dijon.

Partners involved in the project

• Shinsuke Shigeto (Univ Kwansei Gakuin, Japon) & Marc Chaigneau (Horiba, Nanoscopy group, Lille): TERS
• Kiyotaka Shiba (Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research) : innovative ligands specific to EVs
• Torsten Mueller (Bruker, Berlin), for instrumentation support

Bibliography

• Obeid S., et al, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine 2019, pii: S1549-9634(19)30061-9.
• Thery et al, JEV 2018, VOL. 8, 1535750
• Obeid S. et al, Biosens Bioelectron. 2017, 93:250-259
• Kalluri et al, Science  2020, 367(6478), eaau6977, DOI: 10.1126/science.aau6977
• Szvicsek et al, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2019, 76:2463–2476
• Cernigliaro V et al, Cells 2020, 9(2), 386
• Sebaihi et al, Measurement Science and Technology, 2017, 28(3)
• Yokota et al, PLOSONE 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0224091