Postdoctoral Researcher – Degradation and Fragmentation of Microplastics During Their Ingestion[...]

Universite de Montpellier; France; Sur place; EUR 30 000 - 45 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A prominent French university is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on an interdisciplinary project focusing on the fate of microplastics in biological and aquatic environments. Candidates should hold a PhD in a relevant field and have strong experience in polymer characterization methods. This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with renowned laboratories and to work with state-of-the-art analytical tools in a cutting-edge research context.

Qualifications

• PhD in materials physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, polymer science, or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in polymer material characterization.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

Responsabilités

• Design, implement, and interpret physico-chemical analyses for microplastics.
• Coordinate experiments with partners.
• Supervise sample collection and processing.
• Develop cleaning protocols for samples.
• Perform advanced polymer characterization analyses.
• Write reports and scientific articles.

Connaissances

Material characterization

Biodegradation processes

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Formation

PhD in materials physical chemistry or related discipline

Outils

FTIR

DSC

SEC

AFM

SEM

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Universite de Montpellier Department Human Resources Research Field Environmental science Physics » Chemical physics Physics » Condensed matter properties Chemistry » Analytical chemistry Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Country France Application Deadline 18 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number 2026-R0068 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Work environment : The position is attached to the Charles Coulomb Laboratory (L2C – UMR 5221 CNRS/University of Montpellier), in collaboration with the MARBEC unit (UMR 9190 – marine ecology and biodiversity) and the IATE unit (UMR 1208 – agropolymers and process engineering). The postdoctoral researcher will work closely with researchers and engineers from the three units within the BIOMIC collaborative project.
The L2C, MARBEC and IATE laboratories combine their expertise in materials physics, marine ecology and biopolymer chemistry to understand the fate of microplastics (MPs) and bioplastics (bMPs) in biological and aquatic environments. This interdisciplinary project is part of an innovative research context on the durability and transformation of polymers in natural systems. The position is embedded in a dynamic scientific environment, within teams recognized for their excellence, complementarity and active collaboration. The postdoctoral researcher will benefit from multidisciplinary supervision and state-of-the-art analytical tools (FTIR, AFM, SEM, DSC, SEC).

Main mission : Design, implement and interpret physico-chemical analyses to characterize the degradation and fragmentation of microplastics after exposure to biological digestive processes, integrating coupled biological and materials-related aspects.

Activities :

• Coordinate experiments in interaction with MARBEC and IATE partners.
• Supervise the collection and processing of samples (fish feces, exposed microplastics).
• Develop and optimize enzymatic and chemical cleaning protocols for samples.
• Perform advanced polymer characterization analyses (FTIR mapping, SEC, DSC, AFM, SEM).
• Assess chemical and morphological changes induced by digestive processes and successive ingestion cycles.
• Contribute to cross-interpretation of data with biology and chemistry partners.
• Write reports, scientific articles and presentations.
• Contribute to the supervision of interns or PhD students involved in the project.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Physics » Chemical physics Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Physics » Condensed matter properties Education Level PhD or equivalent

Research Field Chemistry » Analytical chemistry Education Level PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• PhD in materials physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, polymer science or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in polymer material characterization (FTIR, DSC, SEC, AFM, SEM).
• Strong interest in material/biology interactions and biodegradation processes.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment (physics, chemistry, biology).