Development of fluorescently labeled lignin nanomaterials for design of efficient drug delivery system

The IPHC, a joint research unit jointly supervised by the CNRS and the University of Strasbourg (UMR7178), is a successful example of interdisciplinarity, where research teams from different scientific backgrounds (ecology, physiology and ethology, chemistry, and subatomic physics) develop top-level interdisciplinary programs grounded in scientific instrumentation.

Objectives: The aim is to investigate the physicochemical properties of lignin-based nanomaterials, including their viscosity, polarity, and porosity, by means of covalent labeling with environment-sensitive fluorescent reporters. The goal is to establish quantitative relationships between these nanoscale properties and the cargo release behavior of lignin nanoparticles.

The M2 candidate will extract lignin and prepare LNPs in IPHC while the fluorescent marking of lignin, the assessment of LNPs physiochemical properties and correlation with cargo release kinetics will be done in CBST laboratory with Dr. M. Collot (https://cbst.unistra.fr/en/teams/chemistry-of-photoresponsive-systems).

References: [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.007 ; [2] https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.1c04582

Candidate requirements:

We are seeking a motivated M2 student with background in organic chemistry, materials science, or nanotechnology, and an interest in biobased nanomaterials and fluorescence techniques. The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in organic synthesis, and/or characterization methods (e.g., NMR, fluorescence spectroscopy, DLS). The student should be autonomous with excellent teamwork and communication skills to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary environment.