ESRF - PhD student at ILL: On the stratum corneum lipid interfaces

At a glance

Job title: PhD student at ILL: On the stratum corneum lipid interfaces
Ref.: NS26-ILL16
Contract type: Time-limited contract
Salary range: 33.3K€
Expected deadline of applications: 03/05/2026
Publication start on Front Office : Site internet: 02/03/2026
Contract duration: 3 years (1 year renewable 2 years)

Context & Job description

Thesis subject: Structural study of a stratum corneum model consisting of corneocytes and intercellular lipids

Human skin is the body’s largest organ and its primary barrier against the penetration of external compounds. This protective function is largely governed by the outermost layer, the stratum corneum. According to the well-established “brick-and-mortar” model, the stratum corneum consists of corneocytes (the “bricks”) embedded in an intercellular lipid matrix (the “mortar”). Despite its importance, the detailed structure of the interface between these two components remains insufficiently understood.

This PhD project aims to deliver a quantitative structural characterization of the corneocyte–lipid interface using state-of-the-art neutron diffraction and neutron reflectometry, combined with advanced optical microscopy approaches. The project is fundamentally oriented but addresses questions of strong relevance to applied and industrial contexts.

The work will be conducted in close collaboration with L'Oréal, a global leader in cosmetic science and innovation.
Research environment: The successful candidate will join the Large Scale Structures (LSS) group at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France, one of the world’s leading centers for neutron science. The student will be employed by the ILL and will benefit from access to cutting-edge large-scale facilities and an international research environment.

The PhD will be academically supervised by Dr. Carlos Marques at the École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon), where the candidate will be formally enrolled and where part of the research program will be carried out.

Further information may be obtained from Apostolos Vagias (tel.: +33 (0) 652 624 301, email: vagias@ill.fr), Carlos Marques (+33 (0) 4 72 72 81 18, email: carlos.marques@ens-lyon.fr) and Bruno Demé (+33 (0) 4 76 20 73 11), email: deme@ill.fr.

Expected profile

• Master degree or equivalent in physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, soft matter, biophysics, or a related field.
• Strong interest in structural characterization of complex biological materials.
• Experience (or strong interest) in scattering methods, soft matter, or microscopy.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and international environment
• Non-native English-speaking candidates must include a proof of validated English proficiency test with intermediate B2 level. An official degree conducted in English will be also accepted as a proof. If the applicant is unable to provide proof, an English test (free of charge) will be requested.
• Compliance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie mobility rule: candidates may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host institute’s country (France) for more than twelve months in the three years immediately before the call deadline.
• The candidate must not already be working towards or in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment, and must already hold a master’s degree at the call deadline.
• Candidates must satisfy the conditions for enrolment in a doctoral programme.

Working conditions

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the doctoral school at the École normale supérieure de Lyon (France) and based full-time at the Institut Laue-Langevin ILL (Grenoble, France), with additional visits as necessary to L’Oréal (Paris, France) and to the École normale supérieure de Lyon when needed. Furthermore, a varied pedagogical training programme will be offered to the successful candidate throughout the 3-year PhD project.

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Company description

NEXTSTEP will train 36 young and enthusiastic researchers to exploit the unique and transversal capabilities of analytical research infrastructures in tackling the challenges associated with sustainable development and industrial competitiveness in the areas of “Health”, “Digital, Industry & Space”, “Climate, Energy and Mobility” and “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment”, which are at the heart of Horizon Europe. Host laboratories: ESRF and ILL (France), FZJ (Germany), AREA (Italy), NTNU (Norway).