Development of functional foods of plant origin that contain active ingredients with potential properties antiobesity.

15 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

NovelTechFood - University of Lleida

Department

Department of Technology, Engineering and Food Science

Research Field

Agricultural sciences » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

31 Mar 2024 - 23:00 (Europe/Madrid)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37.5

Offer Starting Date

1 Jul 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The Research Group in Novel Technologies for Food Processing of the University of Lleida - Agrotecnio CERCA Center looks for a candidate to apply for a First Stage Researcher (R1) fellowship call to carry out the PhD thesis within the framework of the NANOVEGGIE project. This is a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (State Subprogram for Knowledge Generation, Projects Call 2022, project PID2022-137838OB-I00). The title of the project is “Use of nanostructured lipid systems to design plant-based foods with anti-obesity properties.”

Plant-based diets have been associated with a reduced risk of obesity and other certain disease as they involve mechanisms that reduce cardiovascular risk factors like abdominal obesity, blood pressure, lipid profile and blood glucose. Hence, improving nutritionally quality of foods while simultaneously reducing their environmental impact is a critical focus globally. Nevertheless, the design of plant-based food products with optimal nutritional and functional properties, such as anti-obesity properties, faces several challenges that need to be addressed. Hence, the use nanostructured lipid systems formulated with polyunsaturated lipids that can also be carriers of bioactive ingredients may be a good strategy to obtain stable plant-based products with enhanced functional properties. Therefore, the project aims to design plant-based food products with enhanced nutritional properties and optimal anti-obesity effect, with the incorporation of nanostructured lipid carriers, as affected by the presence of different polysaccharides, proteins and fats sources.

The candidate work plan will be oriented towards the study of the in vivo bioavailability of the bioactive compounds containing in the model food systems and their antiobesity properties. In this latter task, the gut microbiota composition and the anti-obesity properties of different plant-based food matrices and encapsulated bioactive compounds will be studied in high-fat rats.

This contract offers the possibility of starting a scientific career with one of the world's leading research groups in Novel Technologies for Food Processing

Requirements

Research Field

Agricultural sciences » Other

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The candidates need to have a Master's Degree. The Bachelor’s degree must have been accomplished after 1st January 2014.

The preferred BSc are Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Biotechnology, Food Science and Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering.

Specific Requirements

The minimum grade point average of the candidate's BSc academic record must be equal to or greater than 6.5 (scale from 1 to 10).

Please, note that different rules may apply for the calculation of the mark for applicants who have completed their studies in foreign universities. In this case, the minimum grade point average must be calculated in accordance with the declaration of equivalencies of the average grade of the academic record provided by the current resolutions of the Spanish Ministry of Universities (https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/en/servicios-al-ciudadano/catalogo/gest… - titulos/estudios-universitarios/titulos-extranjeros/equivalencia-notas-medias.html).

Knowledge and experience in Human Nutrition, Food Science, Technology and Engineering as well as in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, as well as scientific papers, contributions to congresses and previous research contracts and scholarships will be valued.

Highly motivated candidates are encouraged.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information
Benefits

One year full time contract, renewable up to three years to complete the PhD. The gross salary is about 20,000 euros per year.

The fees of the direction, supervision and continuous evaluation of the doctoral thesis during the 3 years of contract.

Working in a leading research group on Novel Technologies for Food Processing.

Eligibility criteria

The academic CV of the candidates will be assessed in detail. Excellent grades will be valued, together with having followed subjects related to the PhD topic.

Motivation, initiative, autonomous work and team-working abilities will be valued.

Selection process

The application consists of two steps.

First, an internal filter will be made by the research group to check the fulfillment of the access requirements, as well as analyse the adequacy of the background and expertise regarding the research subject.

Second, the application to the fellowship call by University of Lleida: 

https://www.recercaitransferencia.udl.cat/export/sites/Recerca/ca/.gall…

Additional comments

Interested candidates should submit an application letter (single pdf-file preferred) including: Updated CV, Academic record with grades and qualifications of all subjects (BSc and MSc) and letter of interest to Dr. Gemma Oms Oliu ([email protected] ).

Application letters not including the Bachelor and Master Degree’s average grades will be automatically discarded.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Lleida. Department of Technology, Engineering and Food Science

Country

Spain

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

State/Province

Lleida

City

Lleida

Website

http://www.udl.cat

Street

Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191

Postal Code

25198

E-Mail

[email protected]

Phone

676686049

STATUS: EXPIRED