1.5 year Postdoc at the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University: Development of sustainable substrate from micro algae and blood for cultivated meat production – processing and LC-MS characterization

The Department of Food Science is seeking applications for a fulltime 1.5-year Postdoc. The position includes scientific as well as teaching duties. The Postdoc will work approximately 1.5 years focusing on processing and fractionation of micro algae protein and the characterization of protein and antinutrients using proteomics and metabolomics. The intended start date for this appointment is September 1st, 2024, or soon thereafter.

The candidate will be part of the MusleFuel project funded by the AgriFoodTure within which, the candidate will fractionate and purify protein from micro algae and slaughterhouse side stream (blood) to be tested by a fellow colleague as substrate for in vitro meat production. The nutritional value and bioavailability of micro algae are highly important for the performance as a cell culture substrate. Thus, both protein purity, in vitro protein digestibility and the presence of antinutrients will be investigated in different fractions of protein from micro algae and blood. After producing the purified proteins in lab-scale, ion-mobility mass spectrometry will be used to characterize proteins and antinutrients.

The candidate is expected to:

• Fractionate and purify protein from micro algae and blood
• Characterize the protein fraction with respect to digestibility and content of antinutrients
• Perform mass spectrometry-based protein analysis (using Bruker Tims-TOF Pro instrumentation)
• Write articles for high impact journals
• Assist students in processing technologies and protein evaluation
• Participate in teaching at bachelor and master level, including laboratory courses

The candidate will be a part of a team focusing on alternative protein for food applications, processing-induced changes (oxidative- and heat-induced modifications), protein quality, and natural food colorants. The group is strong in processing and mass spectrometry.

Qualifications 

The successful candidate must have:

• Knowledge on protein processing (primary filtration and/or chromatography)
• Experienced in hands-on protein mass spectrometry (e.g. proteomics and/or metabolomics)
• Documented strong background within protein chemistry
• Documented strong writing skills
• Solid understanding molecular interaction, protein chemistry, analytical chemistry
• A MSc and PhD degree in food science, biochemistry, molecular biology or similar

The application must be in English and include curriculum vitae, publication list, degree certificate, and a description of previous relevant merits. The application should include the names and e-mail addresses of three people who can provide a letter of reference.

Who we are 

We offer a challenging and independent job opportunity in an ambitious and inspiring research and education environment with an informal atmosphere. We are looking for a dynamic employee who is able to work independently and maintain an overview during periods of high workload. We expect that you are efficient at planning your time and organizing major tasks. You enjoy interaction with both scientific staff, students and technical-administrative staff and you have a flair for establishing collaborative relationships.

Read more about the Department of Food Science at www.food.au.dk.

Place of work 

The place of work is Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, Skejby, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. 

Contact information 

For further information on the position please contact: Professor Trine Kastrup Dalsgaard, email: 

[email protected]

, phone: +45 22410942. 

Deadline 

All applications must be submitted online no later than April 20th, 2024.

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the

Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here . Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here .

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here .

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.