PhD in Plant-based alternatives to milk fat globule membranes - the role of polar lipids

Your job

Are you interested in understanding the chemistry behind plant-based ingredients? Do you want to contribute to the transition to plant-based foods? Do you have a strong background in food/analytical chemistry? We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to investigate the role of plant-based polar lipids in the development of milk fat globule membrane alternatives. 

One important difference between human milk and infant formula is the simpler fat droplet interface composition and structure in infant formula, which can greatly impact digestibility. Although milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) ingredients have been described as promising natural ingredients to mimic this interface, the societal shift towards more sustainable products encourages the development of plant-based alternatives to these MFGM ingredients. These alternatives include protein-lecithin mixtures that should have similar functionalities to their dairy derived counterpart. Although much emphasis has been placed on the protein sources, little is known on the type and ratio of lecithins in these plant-based alternatives. The large variety of available plant-based lecithin ingredients, along with their compositional variability, make it indeed a challenge to identify the best combination.

The main goal of this project is to better understand the impact of compositional variation of lecithin ingredients on their functionalities to develop MFGM alternatives, in particular in terms of physicochemical stability and digestibility of the emulsions. You will work in close collaboration with another PhD candidate working at the Food Quality and Design group who will work in parallel on MFGM ingredients.

As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to:

• in-depth characterization and modifications of relevant lecithin ingredients;
• characterization of their techno-functional properties in relation to their composition and ratio when used as MFGM alternatives to stabilize emulsions;
• characterization of the fat digestibility of these emulsions;
• design and recommendations towards promising MFGM plant-based alternatives by comparing with MFGM stabilized emulsions.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• taking ownershipof the PhD project and performing the proposed research, including developing and executing analysis on state-of-the-art chemical analytical equipment;
• publishing your results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presenting them at (inter)national scientific conferences and/or symposia;
• supervising and guiding BSc and MSc students during their thesis;
• collaborating within the other team members and partners from the larger consortium;
• fulfilling the requirements of the PhD program including completing a training and supervision plan to further develop your personal skills as a researcher.

You will work here

The research is embedded within the

chair of Food Chemistry

, where you will be part of a dynamic and international group of analytical and food chemists. During your PhD, you will use state-of-the-art analytics, such as e.g., liquid (LC) and gas chromatography (GC), high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). You will be part of the Lipid Chemistry team, which is led by

dr. Marie Hennebelle

. During your PhD, your will also be co-supervised by

dr.ir. Etske Bijl

from the chair of Food Quality and Design.

Your qualities

You have:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in food/analytical/organic chemistry or a related field;
• experience with chromatography and/or mass spectrometry;
• experience with or affinity for working on food lipids and/or food emulsions;
• excellent research skills, including experience in designing experiments, collecting and interpreting data, working in a laboratory;
• strong scientific writing (evidence from your thesis and/or publications);
• good communication skills and ability to work effectively as a team player;
• excellent English language proficiency, both spoken and written.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 

level

. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found

here

.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation / holiday hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.770 - per month rising to € 3.539,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University ” in the Netherlands for the 19th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about this position, please contact dr. Marie Hennebelle, by e-mail: [email protected] .

For more information about the procedure, please contact our recruitment department by e-mail: [email protected] .

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 5 August 2024. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in August 2024.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using THIS LINK.

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment .

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.