Master's level internship in Talence (33) - Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences

Internship: Nonlinear optical microscopy to visualize the architecture of connective tissues

Description: The mechanical properties of biological systems play a complex role in determining the physiological functions of tissues and appear to be dominant factors in many processes of development, homeostasis and pathology. Interestingly, tissues with properties as different as bone, skin or tendon are mainly composed of the same elementary units. Hence, their specific mechanical properties are directly linked to their sub-microscopic organisation. Nowadays, understanding the structure/function link in connective tissues faces the challenge of probing the multiple scales involved in constructing macroscopic properties from individual structures in highly complex samples. Indeed, standard techniques remains either invasive, limited to the surface, or not sufficiently resolving. The advent of multiphoton microscopy, based on the nonlinear interaction between laser pulses and the constituents of biological samples, has revolutionised the way we observe living organisms. Notably, Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy has recently emerged as the gold standard for collagen imaging in thick samples, enabling label-free visualization of fibrillar distribution with high intrinsic specificity and sub-micron resolution. Read more

Work location:
Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (UMR5298)
Institut d'Optique d'Aquitaine
rue François Mitterand
33400 Talence
France

Application procedure (CV, motivation letter, transcripts and reference letter): Stéphane Bancelin (stephane.bancelin@cnrs.fr)