PhD research fellow – Processing of kelp

‘Sustainable food for all’ is our vision. This is based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and should underpin everything we do. As an applied and business oriented research institution, we work in a targeted manner on research and development, as well as innovation, that contributes to sustainable food production and good management of resources taken from the land and sea.

Nofima is structured into three divisions that conduct research on behalf of all food industries. In many projects, we work across our divisions of Aquaculture, Seafood and Food to provide our customers with the very best food knowledge.

Interdisciplinarity also makes daily working life more exciting and rewarding for each individual employee. We often say that our research will make future generations proud.

Our head office is in Tromsø, and we also have research departments in Sunndalsøra, Bergen, Stavanger and Ås. We employ around 390 staff and offer competitive terms, and excellent pension and insurance schemes.

The competence and collaboration project "Sustainable ingredients from cultivated kelp to the food industry" (SusKelpFood, NFR 326803) is funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR). The project shall comprise a doctoral degree, as a collaboration between the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Food), Møreforskning and Nofima.

More detailed information on the project is available at this link https://www.moreforsk.no/om-oss/nyheter/marin/ny-fou-satsing-for-mer-tare-ingredienser-i-matproduksjon-/680/3529/

The PhD research fellow will be employed by Nofima, at their Processing Technology Department in Stavanger, and the employment has a duration of up to three years. The Department carries out research into challenges within the processing of seafood and other foodstuffs.  

A significant part of the organised research training will take place at DTU Food, and candidates must expect to spend a long period of time in Copenhagen. The candidate will also spend some time in Ålesund, Norway, working at Møreforskning, and possibly visit other partners in norway and abroad.  

Macroalgae (seaweed) is among the largest renewable biomass worldwide. In terms of total weight, cultivated kelp is 16 times that of farmed fish. In the Nordic countries, kelp is under-exploited for value creation. Despite the major potential for value creation within this section of the bioeconomy, numerous challenges remain for the Norwegian kelp industry. The most central challenges are lack of market knowledge and market adaptation of products. Moreover, the industry is very seasonal, resulting in capacity problems for processing.

The food industry and kelp farmers work hard to ensure that the contents of kelp products are properly documented, and to develop methods for control of the volume of e.g., iodine, arsenic and cadmium in the kelp, or to ensure that the most valuable components in the kelp are exploited. Use of new technology is a key part of the project. We have selected three innovative processing technologies to be tested both alone and in combination with other methods (e.g., drying, fermentation) aiming to process food in a more sustainable manner, resulting in healthier and safer foods. Ultrasound (US) is a particularly suitable method in combination with purification and heat treatment.

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment is an efficient method for opening cell structures, and is preferably utilised as a pre-treatment prior to deep-frying or drying. Microwaves (MW) are a well-known method for rapid heating of food, but are also used for pre-treatment of several raw materials. Other methods, such as high-pressure processing, may also be considered. The technologies will be utilised to develop new foodstuffs using kelp or kelp extracts as an ingredient, and it will be possible to monitor the process right up to stage when the product is ready to eat.

• Master's degree in a relevant field, such as food science, physics, thermodynamics or chemistry
• Candidates are expected to meet the admission requirements for DTU: https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/phd/applicant/pre_acceptance-1-
• For candidates educated in Norway, this implies a Master's degree with a final grade of A or B
• Good written and oral presentation skills in English 

• Former experience of kelp/seafood or of one or more of the above-mentioned technologies (MW, US, PEF) is preferable but not conditional
• Experience of analysis of chemical and physical properties of foodstuffs
• Proficiency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is preferable

As a PhD research fellow in Nofima, you will work in an interdisciplinary and enthusiastic group with numerous interesting problems to solve, and with good guidance from experienced researchers. We work on subjects initiated by both research and industry, and a good ability to explain and produce results is valuable. Several of the projects are executed in cooperation with the fisheries and aquaculture industry, and some travel and activity in the field must be expected.

Nofima offers competitive terms, with excellent pension and insurance schemes. We look forward to receiving applications from both recent graduates and candidates with some experience.

Application and submitted documents (see below) must be sent electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no  and the application must include:

• Presentation Letter
• CV, with complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work
• Diplomas and certificates
• 2-3 references with contact information

If you have any academic questions about the position, please contact Senior Scientist Dagbjørn Skipnes, [email protected] . tel: +47 926 92 252. For other questions, please contact Research Director Morten Sivertsvik, [email protected],  tel: +47 905 97 998.