Postdoctoral researcher (M/F) , Photo-switchable permeability of stabilized aqueous emulsions

id="offer-description" class="ecl-u-type-heading-2 ecl-u-mt-none ecl-u-mb-l">Offer Description Context. Water-in-water emulsions, such as PEG/dextran mixtures, spontaneously sequester hydrophilic solutes. They are produced without oil or organic solvents and are used in biotechnology, food, and cosmetics. Yet, their use is limited by challenges in long-term stabilization and control of molecular transport across their interfaces. In the ANR project SHEILA, we investigate an original stabilization strategy based on lyotropic lamellar phases that self-assemble into structured and impermeable interfacial coatings. The challenge now is to make the membrane permeability switchable. The postdoctoral project, supported by the ANR SHEILA, aims to develop stimuli-responsive strategies to control interfacial permeability and molecular exchange. We recently started exploring this question with temperature-responsive lamellar phases, in which structural defects generate pores. The project will investigate how pore structure and size affect the transport of molecular probes. In parallel, we aim to make that control local, fast, and reversible by using light as the stimulus. Light-responsive surfactants and photoacids will be explored to locally modify interfacial properties and trigger localized permeability. A major component of the project will be built around a microscopy platform recently developed in the lab that makes it possible to create multiwavelength spatially patterned illumin