PDF Position in Bipolymers and Biocomposites

Location: Work primarily takes place at North Campus Edmonton

This full time role has a term length of one year with a possibility of renewal.

The salary for this position is $50000 per annum and offers a benefits package found at Postdoctoral Fellows Benefits .

Position Summary

Biopolymers are increasingly used to mitigate the negative environmental effects of plastics, including the consumption of oil and the accumulation of environmental waste. However, biopolymers generally exhibit inferior properties to conventional polymers, limiting their adoption in broad applications. The purpose of our work is to develop renewable bioplastics with controlled end-of-life strategies for agricultural applications. This will be done through the combination of biopolymers with Alberta- produced, environmentally-friendly fillers (including plant-based fibers and other plant-derived additives) to modify the mechanical and biodegradation properties of the materials. Work will also include the investigation of hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation.

We are currently recruiting a post-doctoral fellow to join our team and contribute to this research project. The selected individual will play an important role in advancing this research. They will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including graduate students working in materials and bioengineering. There will also be opportunities to meet with and work with industrial partners. This work will be conducted under the supervision of Drs. Anastasia Elias and Dominic Sauvageau, Chemical and Materials Engineering.

Duties

• Preparing and characterizing biopolymer-based blends and composites containing different additives.
• Test the stability of materials under accelerated aging conditions.
• Design and conduct experiments measuring degradation of the materials and characterizing degradation mechanisms under desired conditions, including in enzymatic systems.
• Perform mechanical, chemical and optical characterization, data analysis, experimental design and manuscript preparation.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field. The selected candidate should have the ability to work both independently and within a team. Strong communication skills are desired.
• Previous experience working with biopolymer processing is an asset.
• To be eligible to work as a postdoctoral fellow, the candidate must have been awarded a PhD within the previous 5 years.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.