Postdoctoral position (M/F) in soft matter

CNRS; France; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 40 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prestigious research organization in France seeks a postdoctoral researcher to conduct experiments on the freezing stability of soft objects. The role involves preparation, characterization, and analysis using confocal microscopy. Candidates should have strong expertise in soft matter physics and be skilled in data analysis. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to significant scientific projects within a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in experimental techniques in confocal microscopy and microfluidics.
• Strong knowledge of the physics and physicochemical properties of soft matter.
• Expertise in freezing/solidification processes.

Responsabilités

• Prepare and characterize suspensions of study objects.
• Conduct directional freezing experiments with confocal microscopy.
• Analyze confocal microscopy data for stability-link insights.
• Contribute to dissemination of results through articles and conferences.

Connaissances

Experimental techniques in confocal microscopy

Physics and physicochemical properties of soft matter

Freezing/solidification processes

Scientific instrumentation skills

Data analysis and processing (Python)

Critical thinking and synthesis skills

Collaboration in multidisciplinary teams

Scientific communication skills in English

Description du poste

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Institut Lumière Matière Research Field Chemistry » Physical chemistry » Physics » Chemical physics » Biophysics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Country France Application Deadline 4 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The postdoctoral researcher will conduct directional freezing experiments coupled with confocal microscopy to study the freezing stability of soft objects. They will develop methods for the preparation and physicochemical characterization of suspensions. This work is part of the ANR FROST project (Freezing Stability of Soft Objects), which aims to understand and control the freezing stability of soft objects.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and physicochemically characterize the suspensions of the study objects, ensuring sample reproducibility.
• Conduct directional freezing experiments coupled with confocal microscopy to investigate the freezing stability of soft objects (main activity).
• Analyze and interpret confocal microscopy data to link the stability of objects to freezing conditions and their physical/physicochemical characteristics.
• Contribute to the scientific dissemination of results: drafting articles, presenting at conferences, and participating in progress meetings and reports for the ANR FROST project.

The Lumière Matière Institute (iLM) is a joint CNRS-Université Lyon 1 research unit located on the Lyon Tech La Doua campus. With approximately 300 staff members—including around 100 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, as well as 150 interns per year—iLM is a leading player in physics and chemistry research in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is internationally recognized for the excellence of its research. The hosting team is the Liquids and Interfaces team at iLM.
This large team (comprising over 20 permanent faculty members, researchers, or engineers, along with more than 20 PhD students or postdoctoral researchers) focuses on soft matter, the properties of liquids, and complex systems where interfaces play a key role. Our research explores the dynamics of these materials across a wide range of scales—from the nanometric to the macroscopic as well as the coupling mechanisms between these different levels (micro-to-macro approach).

Qualifications

• Proficiency in experimental techniques in confocal microscopy and microfluidics.
• Strong knowledge of the physics and physicochemical properties of soft matter (emulsions).
• Expertise in freezing/solidification processes.
• Skills in scientific instrumentation: ability to adapt or modernize experimental setups and conduct experiments independently.
• Ability to analyze and process experimental data (Python).
• Rigor in experimentation, critical thinking, and synthesis skills for interpreting results and contextualizing them with scientific literature.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with ANR project partners while demonstrating autonomy in conducting experiments.
• Excellent scientific communication skills, both written and oral, in English (presentations, writing articles).