Assignment : 

The research engineer will be assigned to the University of Burgundy Europe, within the Faculty of Sciences et Techniques, located in Dijon. He/she will perform his/her duties at the Interdisciplinary Carnot Laboratory of Burgundy, a joint research unit recognized for its work in materials science, optics, nanoscience, and surface engineering.

The laboratory conducts interdisciplinary research at the interface between physics, chemistry and engineering, with applications in the fields of energy, advanced materials, and health. More specifically, the engineer will join the ARCEN-Carnot department, dedicated to the advanced characterization of materials at the micro- and nanoscale, including cutting-edge electron microscopy techniques.

He/she will contribute to the i-NanoT project (https://i-nanot.fr/), focused on the development of nanoparticles for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. This project employs innovative approaches in nanomedicine and requires advanced characterization tools for the structural, chemical, and dynamic analysis of nano-objects, particularly under conditions close to the biological environment (cryo-microscopy and liquid-phase microscopy).

Responsibilities and duties :

The research engineer’s primary mission will be to implement, develop, and optimize transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, with a specialization in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and liquid-phase TEM, applied to the study of nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

He/She will be responsible for:

•     Ensuring the operation, advanced adjustment, and assisting with the maintenance of transmission electron microscopes, including equipment dedicated to cryo-microscopy and liquid cell observation;

•     Developing and adapting experimental protocols for the preparation of sensitive samples (vitrification, preparation under controlled conditions, encapsulation in liquid cells);

•     Performing high-resolution structural and morphological analyzes, as well as chemical analyzes (EDS, EELS) suitable for nanoscale systems and liquid or cryogenic environments;

•     Contributing to the development of new in situ and operando imaging methodologies enabling the dynamic observation of nanoparticles in environments close to physiological conditions;

•     Participate in the interpretation of results in collaboration with research teams (physicists, chemists, biologists) and manage and process data (images, spectra);

•     Support users of the i-NanoT project (researchers, PhD students, industrial partners) in defining and conducting their experiments;

•     Contribute to the dissemination of research findings (scientific publications, reports, presentations) and to training initiatives on advanced microscopy techniques;

•     Contribute to technological and scientific monitoring in the field of electron microscopy and nanoscience. 

The research engineer will conduct their work using a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope, scheduled for installation in the fall of 2026 at the ICB laboratory. This equipment will serve as a key tool for advanced characterization of nanocarriers and their interactions with biological environments, as proposed within the i-NanoT project.

The main instrument will be a JEOL JEM-F200, a 200 kV field emission (FEG) transmission electron microscope capable of high-resolution observations in STEM mode, as well as advanced structural and chemical analyses. It will be coupled with a suite of state-of-the-art analytical and in situ equipment.

In this context, the engineer will play a key role in the handling, qualification, optimization, and scientific commissioning of this instrument. He/she will also contribute to the development of experimental protocols, user training, and the development of innovative approaches in advanced electron microscopy.