Postdoc offer : Understanding hemolymph adhesion : towards cleaner airplanes

About ESPCI Paris :
ESPCI (https://www.espci.fr/en/) is a leading French “Grande Ecole” founded in 1882, educating undergraduate and graduate students through a programme merging basic science and engineering, as well as a world-renowned research institution. ESPCI Paris hosts 9 research units, all associated to CNRS and/or INSERM and/or other Parisian Universities in the form of joined research units, covering the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. Favouring interdisciplinary, and operating at the frontiers between fundamental research and innovation, are two major objectives of the School.
ESPCI is also a part of Paris Science et Lettres (PSL) Research University (https://www.univ-psl.fr/en) – an ambitious collaboration project of 26 research institutions in a broad range of disciplines from engineering, chemistry and oncology to economics, management, the humanities and the performing arts
About the laboratory/Research Unit :
PMMH (Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes) is a multidisciplinary research institute specializing in the study of Physics and Mechanics of fluids and solids, as well as soft matter, disordered and dispersive media.
Offer information

Understanding hemolymph adhesion : towards cleaner airplanes

We invite applications for a post-doc opening in MSC (University of Paris) and PMMH (ESPCI Paris) to work on a cross-disciplinary project combining physical chemistry of surfaces, adhesion and mechanical properties of materials.

The project examines how insect hemolymph interacts with different types of surfaces, and how the mechanical and adhesive properties of insect residues are influenced by physical parameters such as temperature, air flow and surface roughness. 

This post-doctoral position is part of the European project Clean Sky with Airbus company, whose goal is to inhibit contamination of aircrafts by insects. Future aircrafts should rely on enhanced laminar flows to decrease drag and thus fuel consumption. Among the parameters ensuring laminar flows on commercial aircrafts, the contamination by insect residues represents a major issue as it can lead to premature boundary layer transition to turbulence.

MISSIONS and ACTIVITIES :
The postdoctoral fellow will analyze the influence of physicochemical parameters on adhesion between biochemically modified hemolymph and surfaces through micro-rheology and adhesion tests customized for samples of minute volumes. Model experiments in wind tunnel will also be designed to investigate the adhesion of solid particles on a solid surface under airflow. These experiments will be crucial to define optimal strategies for the performances of anticontamination materials. In particular, we will focus on the design of new types of liquid infused surfaces with controlled roughness at the microscale to determine their potential for anticontamination issues.

It is based in both laboratories Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC) at University of Paris with Bérengère Abou (berengere.abou@univ-paris-diderot.fr) and PMMH from ESPCI-PSL currently hosted at Sorbonne University with José Bico (jose.bico@espci.fr).

PROFIL OF THE CANDIDATE

COMPETENCES REQUIRED : Experimental skills in Soft Matter. Ability to carry an interdisciplinary project.
EDUCATION LEVEL : PhD in Physics, Physical Chemistry, Soft Matter
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED : Previous experience in experimental Soft Matter. Experience in biophysics will be appreciated.

CONTACT
Name / SURMANE : José Bico / Bérengrère Abou
FUNCTION : associate professor / CNRS researcher
TEL. NUMBER : 01 40 79 45 10
E-mail : jose.bico@espci.fr / berengere.abou@univ-paris-diderot.fr
Website : https://blog.espci.fr/jbico/

RECRUITMENT INFORMATION
Catégorie : Postdoc
Filière : Enseignement et recherche
The position : A 10 months full-time temporary contract, salary ranging from 2100€ to 2350€ depending on the candidate’s experience

Start of the contract : February 3, 2020
Applications from people with RQTH are encouraged. These people may benefit from a derogatory recruitment system of the City of Paris


ACCESS

PMMH-ESPCI-PSL
Sorbonne Université, Barre Cassan, bât. A, 1er étage,
7 quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris

MSC Université de Paris
Bâtiment Condorcet 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet
75013 Paris

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