PhD studentship at Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections

PhD studentship
Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections
Paris

The Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections /
Museum National d'Hstoire Naturelle / Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique in Paris

    <URL:http://www.crcc.cnrs.fr> is

offering a PhD studentship for three years on the subject:

    "Characterization of synthetic dyes in cultural artefacts"

Since the mid 19th century and the introduction of synthetic dyes by
the industry, artists have used a wide range of new dyes that can be
found in a number of museum artefacts such as graphic documents,
photographs, tapestries and textiles. For the art historian or the
science historian, and for the conservator, the identification of
these dyes can be of importance. However, the analytical and
characterization techniques for synthetic dyes are far less
developed than those for natural dyes. The variety of synthetic dyes
is extremely large, with more than 100000 chemical compounds. Such
diversity justifies a Doctoral research that would take into
consideration the historical context (1850-1914), the technological
and chemical aspects, and the analytical tools. The work will focus
on establishing and optimizing analytical protocols for the
separation, identification and characterization of acid and basic
dyes and, possibly, their degradation products, using capillary
electrophoresis and liquid chromatography coupled to mass
spectrometry (CE-MS and LC-MS). The aim is to optimize the
analytical methodology in complex matrices, as well as to minimize
the sample size to a micro-destructive level. These separation and
analytical techniques will be compared to non invasive spectroscopic
methods such as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).
Different types of substrates will be considered such as protein
materials (wool, silk, gelatine) and cellulosic materials (paper,
cotton, linen, hemp).

The successful applicant will work under the guidance of scientists
from CRCC and is expected to complete a PhD dissertation and produce
one or more international journal publications.

The monthly stipend will be 1600 EUR.

Eligibility: Candidates should have a graduate degree in one of the
chemistry sciences, or equivalent training. The degree must have
been obtained within the last two years. Candidates must be familiar
with relevant scientific methods and instrumentation
(chromatographic and spectrometric). A strong interest in art
conservation is required and previous experience in art conservation
is desirable. English-language skills and a proven record of
research and writing ability are required. Knowledge of the French
language is desirable.

Application procedure: Interested candidates must submit the
following materials in French or English:

    Transcripts of both undergraduate and graduate courses of
    academic study (unofficial copies are acceptable)

    A curriculum vitae including basic biographical information,
    current and permanent addresses, and telephone numbers

    A short statement of the candidate's interests and intent in
    applying for the PhD

    Reprints of publications

    Two letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with
    the candidate's work (sent directly to the address below)

All application material should be received no later than June 1,
2010 and should be submitted via e-mail to crcc<-at->mnhn<.>fr with this
heading "Doctorat-Dyes". Documents should be in MS Word, RTF or PDF
format.

Signed letters of recommendation should be sent to:

    CRCC-MNHN CP21
    Prof. Bertrand  Lavedrine
    36, rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
    75005 paris
    France

This information can also be found at <URL:http://www.abg.asso.fr>,
under the reference ABG-40294.

Anne-Laurence Dupont
Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections
Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle - CP 21
36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, FR-75005 Paris
+33 1 40.79 53 07
Ax. +33 1 40.79 53 12


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:33
                 Distributed: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-33-022
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