PostDoc f/m/d – Understanding biomineralization mechanisms using atom probe tomography (APT)

Biominerals are hierarchically structured and exhibit remarkable properties due to their unique combination of organic and inorganic components. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the major mineral phase in bone and teeth (enamel and dentine), providing high stiffness, strength and wear resistance and forming a hierarchical composite with inorganic component (collagen and other proteins). The different processes of formation of both components is named biomineralization. Despite advances in deciphering the organization and structure of the HAP nanocrystals, the presence of substitutional trace elements at their interface is still not yet fully understood e.g. the chemical composition and proteins binding. This leaves many fundamental questions about mineralization processes unanswered, partly due to the challenge of simultaneously characterizing the three-dimensional (3D) structure and chemical composition at the nanometer scale of these materials.

Atom probe tomography (APT)provides 3D nanoscale compositional mapping with high chemical sensitivity. This technique could solve her questions exposed above. While APT is well established for analyzing metallic materials, in recent years, it has been extended to biominerals research, although there remain challenges; the heterogeneous structure of the inorganic and organic domains limits yield and complexifies the data. Preliminary work by our group paves the way for systematic analyses of biomaterials and will accelerate new insights into biomineralization processes.

We are looking for a PostDoc to further establish the frontiers of biomineral research using APT and to answer biological questions related to biomineralization.

Your tasks will be:

• Preparation of specimens using metallographic (grinding, polishing) and micromechanical tools for microstructural investigations
• Performing microstructural characterization on different length scales using electron microscopy techniques such as SEM/FIB (tomography) and TEM combined with spectroscopy methods (e.g. EDS, EELS)
• Measurement of mechanical properties
• Sample preparation using focused ion beam milling (FIB) for APT analysis
• The focus is on high resolution structural and chemical analysis using APT
• Interpretation of results from a biological perspective and combine results from different length scales and methods
• Establish, manage and coordinate collaboration between MPIE and partner Institutes
• Write funding proposals to national organization (DFG) or European consortiums
• Publication of scientific results in international journals and presentation of scientific results at conferences and meetings.