Science

Model lipid bilayers, reconstituted by using bacterial polar lipid extracts, are reliable systems to investigate the physical properties of bacterial membranes, and can be used, for example, to aid the design of new antibiotics. Such natural polar mixtures in their labeled form are essential tools for neutron scattering studies of biological membranes; however, deuteration is known to perturb fatty acid metabolism and alter lipid biosynthetic pathways. Previous fatty acid analyses in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris have revealed significant changes within various lipid series under deuterated growth conditions, suggesting that deuterium incorporation directly impacts genes involved in lipid metabolism. Building on these observations, this project aims to investigate how deuteration, applied under different growth temperatures and across the growth curve of the gram positive bacteria 'Bacillus subtilis' and the gram negative bacteria 'Escherichia coli' affects changes in the global acyl chain compositions. The project would aim to optimize matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometric methods for rapid and direct analysis of a wide range of molecular compositions within all the purified phospholipid mixtures. The study of such complex lipid mixtures is important to recreate highly biologically relevant bacterial membrane models for studies aimed at understanding the biological function of bacterial membranes.

Activities of the trainee

Growing bacterial cell cultures

Lipid extraction and purification ny Solid phase extraction and HPLC

Optimizing MALDI-TOF methods for determining lipid compositions

Level required

+4, +5 year university studies in Lipid Biochemistry

Language skill

As an international research centre, we are particularly keen to ensure that we also attract applicants from outside France. You must be able to communicate in English or in French.

Notes

This post is an internship with a maximum duration of 5months

Please send your application directly to the supervisor:

Krishna BATCHU,

email : batchu@ill.fr

Lung surfactant is a lipid/protein complex that coats the respiratory air/liquid interface at the alveoli, minimising the surface tension and thus allowing breathing mechanics. As the alveoli are continuously subjected to area extension and reduction as a consequence of breathing cycles, this material needs to be able not only to adsorb rapidly and efficiently to the air/liquid interface, but to spread when the surface increases (during inspiration) and desorb when surface decreases (during expiration) leaving only a DPPC-rich interfacial monolayer with minimum surface tension. This dynamism of the films is acquired thanks to the hydrophobic surfactant proteins SP-B and SP-C that keep the material that has been excluded from the interface connected to the interfacial monolayer in the form of multilayer surfactant reservoirs to be ready for the next cycle.

The student assigned to this project will prepare various types of films that mimic lung surfactant at the air/water interface. These systems will range from formulations containing the hydrophobic proteins SP-B and SP-C to lipid monolayers combined with polypeptides, with the aim of exploring the nucleation of reservoirs by molecules other than SP-B, which has been shown to be essential for proper lung surfactant function.

A Langmuir trough coupled with ellipsometry will be used to characterise the response of these films during compression/expansion cycles. This approach will allow assessment of whether material is expelled from the monolayer during film collapse or whether three-dimensional structures are formed, the latter being an indicator of proper lung surfactant functionality. When possible, the in-plane organisation of the films will also be examined using Brewster angle microscopy (BAM).

Activities of the trainee

(1) Preparation of lipid, proteins and polypeptide solutions

(2) Preparation of lipid, lipid/protein and lipid/peptide monolayers and characterisation of their surface pressure response during compression/expansion cycles

(3) Use of ellipsometry to assess changes in the interfacial amount of material

(4) Participate in neutron reflectometry experiments on FIGARO

(5) Analysis and interpretation of the results

Level required

5 year university studies in Physics, Chemistry, Biology

Language skill

As an international research centre, we are particularly keen to ensure that we also attract applicants from outside France. You must be able to communicate in English or in French.

Notes

This post is an internship with a maximum duration of 6months

Please send your application directly to the supervisor:

J CARRASCOSA TEJEDOR,

email : carrascosa-tejedor@ill.fr

Liquid metals play a key role in several energy and process technologies. In methane cracking for CO2-free hydrogen production, methane is injected into molten tin, where bubble formation, rise, coalescence, and breakup directly affect efficiency. Low-melting alloys such as Galinstan are widely used in electronics and thermal management solutions, where controlled gas injection enables conductive pathways. In liquid lithium batteries, bubbles can form during charging and overcharging, leading to overpressure. In all these systems, bubble dynamics govern performance, stability, and safety. However, experimental investigation of gas–liquid interactions in molten metals remains limited. Due to their high atomic number, most liquid metals are opaque to optical and X-ray methods, preventing through-volume, in-situ visualization. Neutron radiography overcomes this limitation by penetrating metallic samples while exploiting absorption contrast between gas and liquid. Fast neutron imaging can furthermore enable operando investigation of bubble dynamics in molten metals.

This internship focuses on the conceptual design of a neutron-compatible sample environment that enables (high-speed) neutron micro-radiography of bubble dynamics in molten metals with melting temperatures below 500 °C. The objective is to design a neutron-compatible experimental cell that enables controlled melting and stable operation of some liquid metals (e.g. Sn), while using an (inert) gas line to generate bubble streams. The setup must be compatible with neutron imaging beamlines, allow (high-speed) radiography with high spatial and temporal resolution, and ensure safe operation with adequate detector protection under elevated temperatures. The work will focus on engineering design, material selection, neutron transmission optimization, thermal management, and geometric scaling (target cross-section ~10 cm²) under realistic process conditions.

Ideal Profile:

- Background in Mechanical, Thermal, Nuclear, or Chemical Engineering

- Proficiency in SolidWorks (required)

- Experience with CAD-based conceptual design and technical drawing (required)

- Knowledge of thermal analysis and simulations (advantageous)

- Motivation to work at the interface of engineering design and experimental physics

- Motivation for conceptual development of complex systems

Activities of the trainee

The trainee will develop a conceptual engineering design of a neutron-compatible in-situ sample environment for fast radiography of bubble dynamics in molten metals (T < 500 °C).

Main Task:

- identify scientific requirements and put them in engineering specifications

- Develop and compare several sketch design concepts

- Create 3D CAD models and technical drawings using SolidWorks

- Design the molten metal container, heating-controlled system, and inert gas injection line

- Optimize material selection for neutron transmission, thermal stability, and chemical compatibility

- Assess safety, feasibility, and radiation safety

- Devise overall installation, handling and maintenance protocols

Deliverables:

- Complete conceptual design of the cell and system

- Parametric SolidWorks models

- Technical documentation and final report

Level required

+2, +3 year university studies inMechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Chemical engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a closely related field

Language skill

As an international research centre, we are particularly keen to ensure that we also attract applicants from outside France. You must be able to communicate in English or in French.

Notes

This post is an internship with a maximum duration of 4months

Please send your application directly to the supervisor:

B LUKIC,

email : lukicb@ill.fr

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with an internally structured cubic or lamellar core organization represent ideal platforms for encapsulating oleic acid-stabilized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), yielding hybrid nanosystems with enhanced multifunctional capabilities. The application of an alternating magnetic field induces localized hyperthermia, which drives reversible lipid phase transitions between more ordered and disordered core architectures with a tunable structural response that can be exploited to trigger controlled drug release on demand.  Initial characterizations, such as DLS, QCM-D, and ellipsometry, will be done to confirm the quality of the samples. Microstructural changes will be unraveled using a combination of advanced scattering methods (small-angle and reflectometry) to correlate them with their potential macroscopic responses. Beyond drug delivery, these hybrid LNPs–MNPs systems hold significant promise in biosensing applications.

Activities of the trainee

The trainee will incorporate MNPs into LNPs and perform characterization of the hybrid LNPs-MNPS system by means of X-ray reflectivity, DLS, QCM-D, ellipsometry, SANS and neutron reflectometry (polarized and unpolarized).

Level required

+3, +4, +5 year university studies in Chemistry, Physics, Material Science

Language skill

As an international research centre, we are particularly keen to ensure that we also attract applicants from outside France. You must be able to communicate in English or in French.

Notes

This post is an internship with a maximum duration of 2months

Please send your application directly to the supervisor:

S AYSCOUGH,

email : ayscough@ill.fr

Model lipid bilayers made from bacterial polar lipid extracts are useful systems for studying the physicochemical properties of bacterial membranes and for supporting antibiotic research. In particular, isotopically labeled natural polar lipid mixtures are indispensable for neutron scattering based studies of biological membranes. This project aims to build supported lipid bilayers that mimic the lipid composition of bacterial cytoplasmic membranes and to study them using QCM-D and neutron reflectivity. However, forming supported bilayers that contain negatively charged phospholipids on silicon oxide surfaces remains challenging. Unlike neutral lipid systems, anionic bilayers often fail to form reproducibly. Vesicles may adsorb without rupturing, leading to poor surface coverage, remaining intact vesicles, and unstable films. Although several deposition strategies have been developed, including changes in salt concentration, the use of divalent cations, and surface modification, success rates and reproducibility are still limited.

In this work, we will use QCM-D to systematically identify conditions that allow the reproducible formation of uniform, defect-free supported lipid bilayers. We will first optimize the methods using well-defined synthetic lipids. The optimized protocols will then be applied to natural polar lipid extracts, labeled or unlabeled, from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. These complex bilayer systems will provide biologically relevant models for studying the structure, dynamics, and function of bacterial membranes. The intern will gain experience in bio-physical techniques including QCM-D, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) and have the possibility to engage in neutron reflectivity experiments.

Activities of the trainee

The trainee will perform measurements in the PSCM labs using QCMD, DLS and, dependent on instument installation, infrared spectroscopy. They will optimise formation of solid supported bilayers made from bacterial extracts-a much requested system for scientists at the ILL.

Level required

+4, +5 year university studies in Chemistry, Physics

Language skill

As an international research centre, we are particularly keen to ensure that we also attract applicants from outside France. You must be able to communicate in English or in French.

Notes

This post is an internship with a maximum duration of 4months

Please send your application directly to the supervisor:

S AYSCOUGH,

email : ayscough@ill.fr