De posible interés para los miembros de la lista. Saludos, Giancarlo Group of Guillaume Stirnemann, CNRS Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France Towards a molecular understanding of thermophoresis and its relevance for precursor accumulation in the context of life’s origins Subject In modern cells, molecules are confined in a volume in the femtoliter range, resulting in concen- trations that critically enhance reaction rates. How can an efficient chemistry leading to the emergence of life take place in an ocean, a puddle or even a water droplet, which are 109-1036 times larger? Recent pioneer experiments have shown that thermally-driven processes such as thermophoresis can accumulate otherwise dilute precursors at localized spots acting as thermal traps for RNA strands oligomerization. Natural thermophoretic settings occur e.g. in the pores of hydrothermal vents on the ocean’s floor that may have played a key role in the appearance of biological chemistry. On a different perspective, the number of technological applications that use thermophoresis is burgeoning, including the manipulation of biomolecules in thermal traps, the measurement of protein-ligand affinity or applications in microfluidics. Yet, a major limitation is that the nature of thermophoresis is still highly debated. The goal of this PhD will be to use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of in silico realizations of thermophoretic settings and analytical modeling to gain a deeper molecular understanding of this phenomenon. Building upon our recent advances on the topic (see e.g. https://doi.org/10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-bht06), we will focus on the comparison between aqueous solutions and model Lennard-Jones liquids, as well as on thermodiffusion in confined environments. Research environment Research will take place in the lab of Theoretical Biochemistry of the CNRS Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology with Guillaume Stirnemann. It is located in the very stimulating research environment of the Latin Quarter, at the heart of Paris. Our group has extensive experience in applying advanced simulation and theoretical tools to tackle a variety of questions, ranging from water ultrafast dynamics in aqueous solutions to the mechanical and thermal stability of proteins. We have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities that include a local mesoscale computer cluster. The postdoc salary includes generous health and social benefits, and a number of housing opportunities are available for foreign applicants. Funding is provided for 18 months (with a possible extension if necessary) by the European Research Council (Starting Grant ABIOS). More information about the lab and the research group are available here: www-lbt.ibpc.fr/people/stirnemann. Requirements PhD in molecular physics or physical/theoretical chemistry. Strong simulation skills are required, as well as the use of at least one programming language. Contact information Interested candidates should contact Guillaume Stirnemann as soon as possible ([log in para visualizar]), together with a curriculum vitae and contact information for one or two references -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr. Giancarlo Franzese, University Professor; Professor of Physics; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, ICREA Academia Awardee. P. I. of the Group of Statistical Physics of Complex Matter, Seccio' de Fisica Estadistica i Interdisciplinaria--Departament de Fisica de la Materia Condensada (Office 428), Facultat de Fisica, & Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain PHONE: +34 934039212 / FAX: +34 934021149 / Secretary: +34 934021150 E-MAIL: [log in para visualizar] ResearcherID: A-9655-2009 Orcid ID: 0000-0003-3006-2766 Scopus Author ID: 7003330838 Loop profile: 109112 BOOK: Aspects of Physical Biology www.springer.com/978-3-540-78764-8 ISSUE: Nonequilibrium Phenomena in Confined Systems mdpi.com/si/7262 WEB: http://www.ffn.ub.es/gfranzese (with PDF of publications) Aquest missatge, i els fitxers adjunts que hi pugui haver, pot contenir informació confidencial o protegida legalment i s’adreça exclusivament a la persona o entitat destinatària. 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