Organisation/Company: Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire
Research Field: Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biological sciences, Biological engineering
Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2), Leading Researcher (R4), First Stage Researcher (R1), Established Researcher (R3)
Country: France
Application Deadline: 26 Dec 2024 - 22:00 (UTC)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Offer Starting Date: 6 Jan 2025
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 Research project "Topical formulations for the decontamination of injured skin and wounds exposed to radionuclides".
In response to the call for proposals launched by the European Defence Fund, the RESILIENCE Framework Partnership was set up, aiming at building a European collaborative ecosystem against current or future CBRN threats (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear). RESILIENCE brings together military medical institutes, research institutes, universities, research and technology organisations (RTOs), hospitals, industries, mid-caps and SMEs. One hundred European partners and their experts in NR (Nuclear, Radiological) threats, will serve different R&D projects, in dosimetry, diagnosis and medical countermeasure. Within this framework, IGPS and IRSN will contribute to the project INDECRAD by developing new decorporating and decontaminating agents to improve care of soldiers exposed to NR threats. Among the complementary approaches to improve radionuclide decontamination, we chose to evaluate the efficacy of topical formulations (i.e., hydrogels and texturing gels) containing chelating drugs such as calixarene or hydroxypyridinone (HOPO) to treat injured skin or wounds contaminated with radionuclides such as U, transuranics, Cs or Co. Such pharmaceutical strategy proved to be effective in previous developments to decontaminate skin exposed ex vivo to uranium.
This project is led by the University of Latvia and has six partners on board: IRSN, CNRS, CEA, the French Ministry of Defense, Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology (Germany) and University of Brno (Czech Republic).
Mission The position holder will contribute to the formulation and physicochemical characterisation of emulsions and hydrogels made of hydrophilic or amphiphilic chelating agents at IGPS, and to the assessment of their effectiveness in decontaminating damaged skin or wounds exposed ex vivo to actinides, cesium, or cobalt isotopes using automated Franz diffusion cells systems, at IRSN. This includes, but is not limited to:
Implementing different formulation methods to incorporate chelating agents (HOPO, calixarene, etc...) in pharmaceutical forms that are relevant for topical applications on damaged skin or wounds;
Characterizing the granulometry (in case of dispersed systems), the rheological properties and the stability of the pharmaceutical forms;
Performing ex vivo skin diffusion studies of the radioisotopes (U, Pu, Am, Cs, Co) through murine, porcine or human skins using Franz cells with or without decontamination treatments;
Analyzing the radionuclides in the different compartments and samples using analytical techniques (ICPMS);
Analyzing the results of experiments and writing articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, as well as research reports for internal or external purposes;
Preparing and presenting talks and poster presentations at internal and external seminars and meetings when requested and approved;
Minimum Requirements Education: PhD degree in physicochemistry, pharmaceutical technology, pharmacology, biology, chemistry or a relevant discipline from a recognized university.
Experience: Comprehensive background and experience in one or more of the following areas: colloids, (nano)emulsions, hydrogels or dispersed systems formulation and characterisation (rheology, microscopy). Experience in skin physiology, radiobiology, radiotoxicology, in vitro skin diffusion study, Franz diffusion cells systems or active ingredients analytical methods will be considered an asset.
Skills: Demonstrated ability to publish research results as a lead author in peer-reviewed scientific literature, effective communication skills to present results of research as demonstrated by a record of conference or other oral presentations in English, and demonstrated high organisation skills, interpersonal skills and ability to work as a part of a multidisciplinary and dynamic team.
Additional Information Work Location(s) Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire
Country: France
City: Fontenay aux Roses
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