Study of Fish Tooth Structure – Pigmentation, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties

Teeth are particularly fascinating due to their remarkable properties and essential role in mastication. While most dental research focuses primarily on human or mammalian teeth, the diversity of dental tissues in animals provides valuable insights for biomaterials, biomineralization, and bio-inspired designs.
This project specifically investigates fish teeth, whose crowns are composed of enameloid—a material distinct from human enamel in both chemical composition and structure, yet remarkable for its mechanical properties. Additionally, certain fish species exhibit unique pigmentation, ranging from red and orange to green and blue, which remains largely unexplored in terms of both function and structure.
To analyze these tissues at an extremely fine scale, the project aims to advance the application of atom probe tomography (APT), a cutting-edge technique capable of mapping chemical composition in 3D with near-atomic resolution. The mechanical properties of fish teeth will also be examined at different hierarchical levels, integrating innovative in situtesting methods under specific conditions. This work will provide new insights into tooth formation, biomineralization processes, and innovative applications in dentistry as well as the design of bio-inspired implants.

Contact:
Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

• A detailed CV outlining their academic background
• A motivation letter
• Transcripts and rankings for Master 1 and Master 2

and send them to Philippe Pareige – philippe.pareige@univ-rouen.fr and Maïtena Dumont – maitena.dumont@univ-rouen.fr