Post-doctoral fellow in bioinorganic chemistry (M/F)
Role: Post-doctoral fellow in bioinorganic chemistry (M/F)
Organisation: CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research
Department: Laboratoire de chimie de coordination
Location: Toulouse, France
Contract Type: Temporary, Full-time (35 hours/week)
Start Date: 1 Sep 2026
Application Deadline: 26 Jun 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)
Job Overview:
Research in organic synthesis, bioinorganic chemistry and biochemistry. The use of redox-active Cu-complexes for in cell catalysis, including the formation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), remains thwarted by their low stability in the presence of strong intracellular competitors such as glutathione (GSH) and metallothioneins (MT). To tackle this challenge in medicinal inorganic chemistry, we aim to derivatize short Cu-binding peptides with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) to achieve enhanced resistance towards reductive dissociation by GSH/MT, while keeping efficient redox cycling and hence O2 activation towards the generation of ROS. The work will be carried out primarily at the CNRS Coordination Chemistry Laboratory (UPR 8241) within the 'Alzheimer's, Amyloids and Bio-Inorganic Chemistry' team led by Dr Christelle Hureau and the 'Molecular Engineering of Precursors' team led by Dr Vincent César.
Requirements and Qualifications:
- Education Level: PhD or equivalent in Chemistry or Physics.
- Languages: French (Basic level).
- Research Experience: None specified.
Eligibility Criteria and Skills:
- Excellent skills in multi-step organic synthesis, bio-inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry and peptide chemistry.
- Extensive experience in physico-chemical and biochemical analysis, particularly spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis and fluorescence).
- Skills in cell culture are an advantage.
- Knowledge of solid-phase peptide synthesis is an advantage.
- Proficiency in general IT tools (Office) and field-specific software (Kaleidagraph).
- Ability to organise and manage working time to carry out experiments within defined deadlines.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
What They Offer:
- Position within the CNRS Coordination Chemistry Laboratory (UPR 8241).
- Collaboration with the 'Alzheimer's, Amyloids and Bio-Inorganic Chemistry' team and the 'Molecular Engineering of Precursors' team.
- Full-time temporary contract (35 hours/week).