Applications Opened 20240626 and closed 20241001
Object: 2 years post-doctoral position in analytical chemistry (low or high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography) in the context of extraterrestrial sample analyses and Origins of Life in ASTRO team at the PIIM laboratory of the Aix-Marseille University in France
Context: Since fifteen years, the ASTRO team draws a unique scenario that starts from the primitive dense molecular cloud up to the development of a prebiotic chemistry at the surface of the early Earth. They develop experimental approaches questioning the origin of the organic matter observed in the various interplanetary bodies of our solar system. All these experiments are associated to the development of innovative analytical methodologies to characterize organics and decipher reactivity possibly occurring.
They demonstrated that a part of this matter could be related to the chemistry occurring during the collapse of the native dense molecular clouds and its evolution to a protoplanetary disk. The accretion step could have then led to an incorporation of a fraction of this primitive organic matter in asteroids and comets, where, depending on the body, secondary alterations could have occurred, leading to a new evolution of the organic content. As observed on Earth with the presence of meteorites, the organic content of interplanetary bodies may have been delivered at the surface of the early Earth, 4.3 to 3.8 Go ago. This extraterrestrial organic matter may have been an important reservoir of organic matter that could have played a role in the emergence of life on the early Earth.
Objectives of the scientific project: The objective is to develop new analytical methodologies, under the supervision of Professor Grégoire Danger, for characterizing organic matter in extraterrestrial objects (meteorites, samples from returned missions) and their analogues. These advancements will primarily involve high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with low or high-resolution mass spectrometry to analyze the molecular diversity present within these samples. Additionally, direct infusion into high-resolution mass spectrometry will be utilized to provide an overall assessment of the samples. Moreover, the recruited candidate will support other projects within the team, specifically in liquid chromatography analyses and the development of necessary methodologies. Data treatment implications will also be necessary.
Situation of the position: For the past decade, the ASTRO team at the PIIM laboratory of CNRS/Aix-Marseille University has developed an analytical platform featuring three GC-MS instruments, including a GC-Orbitrap. The team has been extensively engaged in high-resolution mass spectrometry analyses of extraterrestrial samples and their analogues. Currently, the team possesses two high-performance liquid chromatography systems coupled to low-resolution mass spectrometry. Collaborations are in place for liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.
We are seeking a candidate with advanced expertise in high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, particularly with a strong background in data analysis related to these techniques.
Administrative information:
- The position is for two years. The funding is part of the MICROFLUIDICS PEPR Origins funding project ANR-22-EXOR-0014.
- Applicants must have a PhD degree in analytical chemistry by the date of appointment.
- The starting date is no later than January 2025.
- Applicants should submit a cover letter, a CV, a statement (2 pages max) explaining interests and qualifications, and if available letters of recommendation.
- Review of applications will begin upon receipt until the position is filled and all applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration.
- Selected applicants will be interviewed. They will have to present their research background and to propose a project in relation with the aim of the current position. The selection of the candidate will be held after these interviews.
Application Deadline: October 1th, 2024
Audition Deadline: October 15th, 2024
Starting date: January 2025
End Date: January 2027
Attention To: Grégoire Danger - Email: gregoire.danger@univ-amu.fr
Gross Salary the first year will depend on the expertise and will be either 31 k€ or 36 k€. From the second year a raise of 300€/month (gross) will be applied. This salary includes standard social security, retirement and unemployment insurance.
Selected references:
1. Molecular diversity and amino acid evolution in simulated carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies, A. Garcia, Y. Yan, C. Meinert, P. Schmitt-Kopplin, V. Vinogradoff, J-C Viennet, L. Remusat, S. Bernard, M. Righezza, L. Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt, G. Danger*, ACS Space and Earth Chemistry, 2024, 8, 606-315
2. Gas chromatography coupled-to Fourier transform orbitrap mass spectrometer for enantioselective amino acid analyses: application to pre-cometary organic analog, A. Garcia, C. Serra, Q. Blancart Remaury, AD. Garcia, M. Righezza, C. Meinert, P. Poinot, G. Danger*. Journal of Chromatography A, 2023, 1704, 464118
3. The transition from soluble to insoluble organic matter in interstellar ice analogs and meteorites, G. Danger*, A. Ruf, T. Javelle, J. Maillard, V. Vinogradoff, C. Afonso, I. Schmitz-Afonso, L. Remusat, Z. Gabelica and P. Schmitt-Kopplin, Astronmy and Astrophysics, 2022, 667, A120
4. Identify Low Mass Volatile Organic Compounds from Cometary Ice Analogs using Gas Chromatography coupled to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer associated to Electron and Chemical Ionizations. T. Javelle, M. Righezza, G. Danger*. Journal of Chromatography A, 2021, 1652, 462343
5. Exploring the link between molecular cloud ices and chondritic organic matter in laboratory. G. Danger*, V. Vinogradoff*, M. Matzka, J-C. Viennet, L. Remusat, S. Bernard, A. Ruf, L. Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt and P. Schmitt-Kopplin. Nature Communication, 2021, 12, 3538
6. Diversity of chondritic organic matter probed by ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry. B. Laurent*, J. Maillard, C. Afonso, G. Danger, P. Giusti and L. Remusat. Geochemical Perspectives Letters, 2022, 22, 31-35
7. The challenging detection of nucleobases from pre-accretional astrophysical ice analogs. A. Ruf, J. Lange, B. Eddhif, C. Geffroy, L. Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt, P. Poinot, G. Danger*, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2019, 887, L31
8. The Prebiotic C-Terminal Elongation of Peptides can be Initiated by N-Carbamoyl Amino Acids. N. Abou Mrad, G. Ajram, J-C Rossi, L. Boiteau, F. Duvernay, R. Pascal and G. Danger*. Chemistry - A European Journal, 2017, 23, 7418-7421
9. 5-(4H)-Oxazolones as Effective Aminoacylation Reagents for the 3′-Terminus of RNA. Z. Liu, C. Hanson, G. Ajram, L. Boiteau, J-C Rossi, G. Danger, R. Pascal* Synthetic Letters, 2017, 28, 73-77
10. Characterization of interstellar/cometary organic residue analogs using very high resolution mass spectrometry, G. Danger*, F-R. Orthous-Daunay, P. de Marcellus, P. Modica, V. Vuitton, F. Duvernay, L. Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt, R. Thissen, and T. Chiavassa, Geochimica & Cosmochimica Acta, 2013, 118, 184-201
Applications Opened 20231020 and closed 20240301
Object: 3 years post-doc position in Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry applied to the quest of the Origins of Life in ASTRO team at the PIIM laboratory of the Aix-Marseille University in France
Context: Since fifteen years, the ASTRO team draws a unique scenario that starts from the primitive dense molecular cloud up to the development of a prebiotic chemistry at the surface of the early Earth. They develop experimental approaches questioning the origin of the organic matter observed in the various interplanetary bodies of our solar system. They demonstrated that a part of this matter could be related to the chemistry occurring during the collapse of the native dense molecular clouds and its evolution to a protoplanetary disk. The accretion step could have then led to an incorporation of a fraction of this primitive organic matter in asteroids and comets, where, depending on the body, secondary alterations could have occurred, leading to a new evolution of the organic content. As observed on Earth with the presence of meteorites, the organic content of interplanetary bodies may have been delivered at the surface of the early Earth, 4.3 to 3.8 Go ago. This extraterrestrial organic matter may have been an important reservoir of organic matter that could have played a role in the emergence of life on the early Earth.
Objectives the scientific project: The aim of this position is to built, under the supervision of Pr. Grégoire Danger and in collaboration with Dr. Robert Pascal, Dr. Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt and Dr Vassilissa Vinogradoff, a chemistry lab dedicated to prebiotic chemistry experiments. In our case, prebiotic chemistry experiments are developed in order to understand the chemistry occurring in the context of the early Earth using two complementary approaches:
1. A holistic approach that concerns the understanding of the environmental conditions that could drive an emergence of a selectivity from a molecular diversity as represented by the extraterrestrial reservoir of organic matter. What conditions to the emergence of a system chemistry capable of presenting a chemical evolution.
2. A reductionist approach that aims to investigate the reactivity possibly occurring in the conditions explored in 1. by working on simple chemical systems to understand the role of specific chemical compounds such as nitriles, thiols and others.
Objectives of the candidate: He/She will have thus to integrate the current project already developed in the holistic approach, while he/she will develop the reductionist approach. The candidate will be part of a unique interdisciplinary project, and complement with his/her skills in physical chemistry and organic chemistry the expertise already available in the ASTRO team at the PIIM laboratory. The candidate will supervise with Pr. Grégoire Danger a PhD student on the holistic approach, who has started in December 2023. A new PhD student will start his position in October 2024 on the reductionist approach and will directly work with the candidate.
Situation of the position: the research will be carried out within the ASTRO team at the Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires laboratory of the Aix-Marseille University in France. This team is part of the Origines Institute of the Aix-Marseille University. The team is also involved in the national action PEPR Origins, the French Society of Astrobiology, and is part of different international actions in astrochemistry and astrobiology, such as the European Astrobiology Institute.
We seek for a motivated and a high rank candidate, having a scientific expertise sufficient to successfully apply for a permanent position at CNRS to continue to develop this part of the ASTRO team project.
Administrative information:
- The position is for three years. The raw salary will depend on the candidate experience, but will be at maximum of 53 k€ per year.
- Applicants must have a PhD in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry or organic chemistry by the date of appointment.
- The starting date would be fall to mid 2024, depending on the applicant's availability.
- Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, list of publications, and a statement (2 pages max) explaining research interests and qualifications, and arrange for two letters of recommendation.
- Review of applications will begin upon receipt until the position is filled and all applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration.
- Selected applicants will be interviewed. They will have to present their research background and to propose a project in relation with the aim of the current position. The selection of the candidate will be held after these interviews.
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2024
Audition Deadline: March 15th, 2024
Starting date: June, 2024
End Date: June, 2027
Attention To: Grégoire Danger - Email: gregoire.danger@univ-amu.fr
Applications Opened 20230404 - Closed 20230715
Object: Open Position in Analytical Chemistry/Geochemistry at Institut Origines (PIIM and BIP laboratories) at Aix-Marseille University
Applications for a postdoctoral position to work on molecular evolution related to post-impact processes generated after interplanetary bodies impact of the early Earth is open, between the ASTRO’ team of the PIIM laboratory and the Evolution of Bioenergetics’team of the BIP laboratory at Aix-Marseille University, Institut Origines, Marseille, France. The main task will consist in developing experiments simulating sub-surface environments, to understand how a molecular diversity as observed in some meteorites could evolve once delivered at the surface of the early Earth. Environments to simulate will concern hydrothermal alteration in subsurface allowing organic interactions with minerals and UV photons. These experiments will address the hypothesis of an exogenous supply of organic matter via interplanetary bodies on telluric planets, and its potential role in the emergence of prebiotic chemical systems. G. Danger, V. Vinogradoff (PIIM) and S. Duval (BIP) will supervise this position. Organic and mineral production will be developed at the BIP and PIIM laboratories, and sample analyses will be performed using spectroscopic technics (GC-MS, FT-IR) and in collaboration with the CINAM laboratory (expert in imaging methods). The candidate will work in an interdisciplinary environment which will give him the opportunity to extend his knowledge. This project is part of the interdisciplinary research project EXOMIOLE supported by the “Institut Origines” and funded by the A*MIDEX Excellence program of Aix-Marseille University, and gathering several close laboratories in astrophysics (LAM), geology (CEREGE) and human sciences (CGGG).
The position is for one year, renewable for a second year upon mutual agreement. The starting date would be fall to end 2023, depending on the applicant's availability. Candidates must have a PhD in chemistry, physico-chemistry, geochemistry or in analytical chemistry by the date of appointment. Applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, list of publications, and a statement (2 pages max) explaining research interests and qualifications, and arrange for two letters of recommendation. Review of applications will begin upon receipt until the position is filled and all applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration.
Application Deadline: July 15th, 2023
Attention To: Grégoire Danger, Simon Duval and Vassilissa Vinogradoff
Email: gregoire.danger@univ-amu.fr, sduval@imm.cnrs.fr, vassilissa.vinogradoff@univ-amu.fr