IMPMC, a multidisciplinary laboratory

The "Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie"  is a joint research unit of CNRS Sorbonne UniversitéIRDand Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle

Director: A. Marco Saitta, professor at Sorbonne Université

roc Address: Sorbonne Université - 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris - France

Tower 23 - 4^th floor - Corridor 22-23 - Enter tower 23

Map

Researchers  in physics, biology and mineralogy are gathered at IMPMC to elucidate the structure of materials, investigate their properties, their connection to micro-organisms... The laboratory is operated by about 80 researchers and researchers-teachers and 40 technical and administrative staff members.

Some examples of research domains investigated at IMPMC:

• Natural and artificial magnetic nanoparticles, XMCD  - Impurities in natural and synthetic minerals, archeomaterials
• Prediction of physical properties of materials using first  principles calculations of electronic properties
• Synthesis and studies of structural and dynamic properties of  complex materials
• Physical properties of condensed matter under extreme conditions
• Structure and elastic properties of geophysical materials under  extreme conditions
• Studies of (bio)geochemical cycles of major and trace metallic  elements at the Earth’s surface with special emphasis on the role of  minerals.
• Studies of mechanisms of mineral transformations induced by  micro-organisms.
• Studies of short range (2-5 Å) and medium range (5-20 Å) in  synthetic and geological glasses and melts
• Theoretical study and modeling of protein folding.
• Structural studies of macromolecular assemblages.
• Study of the biological role of inner shells ionization of DNA.  Studies of fragmentations of molecules and agregates of biological  interest.
• Mineralogy, petrology, chemistry and isotope systematics of meteorites; origin and history of the solar system.

The laboratory owns high performance instruments: chromatographs,  spectrometers, diffractometers, scanning and transmisson electron  microscopes, …. See tag  at "Equipements" and  in tabs of research teams.

The laboratory has several industrial collaborations,especially with glass and pharmaceutical companies.

1350 crystals are on view at Collection de minéraux  (on the Jussieu  campus) out of the 15 000 owned by the Collection. Those minerals are  useful to both teaching and research.

IMPMC is integrated in the physics department Physics et Earth, environment and biodviersit at Sorbonne Université and in the History of Earth department of the Muséum  National d’Histoire Naturelle.