PhD Candidate in marine ploysaccharides structure, function and application

12 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Department

Department of Biotechnology and Food Science

Research Field

Chemistry

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

2 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37,5

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
This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the job

The Biopolymer NMR Group (https://folk.ntnu.no/aachmann /) is looking for a candidate to be hired for a three-year PhD position project (with the possibility of a 1 year extension due to teaching duties)  “New products from Seaweed” which are a part of SFI Industrial Biotechnology (SFI-IB, https://sfi-ib.com/ ). The SFI-IB is a research-based innovation centre lead by SINTEF Industry and funded by the Research Council of Norway. The PhD position hosted by the Norwegian Biopolymer Laboratory (NOBIPOL) at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, NTNU. NOBIPOL is a multidisciplinary research group devoted to the field Biopolymer Engineering. Based on more than 60 years of continuous research in the field, NOBIPOL possesses competence and experience in all aspects related to science and technology of marine polysaccharides, such as alginate, fucoidan and cellulose.

The SFI-IB is primarily focused on harvested seaweed, with a particular emphasis on biomass biorefining to produce high yields of pure products (poly- and oligosaccharides), bioactive compounds, and crude fractions with potential for pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceutical, and food/feed applications. An underlying need is for varied levels of characterisation of isolated substances and fractions, including bioactive characteristics.

The PhD candidate will develop biorefinery methods for seaweeds, focusing on the advancement of fractionation techniques for marine polysaccharides such as alginate, cellulose, fucoidan, and other molecules, as well as seaweed-based biomaterials. They will conduct chemoenzymatic modifications of selected products to tailor them for applications in food, medicine, or other industries. The candidate is expected to characterize the materials generated using relevant analytical techniques such as HPEAD-PAD, SEC, SEC-MALS, and NMR. Collaboration with other project partners is anticipated, and the PhD candidate will also engage with other seaweed-related projects at NTNU and SINTEF. The supervisor for the candidate will be Prof. Finn L. Aachmann, NTNU and Research Manager Dr. Øystein Arlov, SINTEF Industry.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree to qualify the candidate for future work in research positions. To qualify for the PhD position, it is required that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in biotechnology or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you are unable to meet these criteria you may be considered only if you can document that you are particularly suitable for education leading to a PhD degree.

Duties of the position

The PhD candidate will work on the following tasks:

• Manage your research project
• Experimental design and execution
• Chemoenzymatic modification of carbohydrates
• Structural and functional characterisation
• Write scientific papers and a PhD thesis
• Supervise students and participate in dissemination activities
   

Required selection criteria

• You must have a master in biotechnology, chemistry or equivalent education
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program (Application and admission to the PhD programmes - Faculty of Natural Sciences - NTNU )
• Practical experience with pre-processing and processing of seaweed or related biomass
• Good analytical skills
• Experience with characterisation polysaccharides (e.g. NMR, SEC, SEC-MALS, HPEAD-PAD)
• Documented excellent oral and written English skills

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate  and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant 

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with chemoenzymatic processes
• Experience with biorefining and product development
• Relevant practical experience
• Competence with computer-based analytical tools
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language

Personal characteristics

The applicant should be motivated, creative and ambitious, with a strong ability to work problem-solution orientated both in teams and independently. The applicant should be genuinely interested in scientific research and its industrial applications as well as scientific dissemination.

In the evaluation of which applicant is best qualified, emphasis will be on education, experience, and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in this position announcement.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• state of the art seaweed biorefinery lab, genetics lab, rheology lab, carbohydrate characterization lab and NMR lab
• applied research in an area with a growing national and international industry
• an open and inclusive work environment  with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years with the possibility of 1 year extension due to teaching duties.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Biotechnology (https://www.ntnu.edu/nv/phd ) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants , and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English or an Scandinavian language. Together with the application we request an up to one page "Personal motivation letter" for the position.

Publications and other scientific work must be attached to the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• One page Personal motivation letter
• Name and contact information of three referees

• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 3 works)

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation . You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Finn L. Aachmann, email: [email protected] .

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

Application deadline: 02.04.2024

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Biotechnology and Food Science

Our activities contribute to increased exploitation of existing and new ingredients for sustainable food production as well as next-generation energy solutions and medical technology. We educate graduates for a wide range of careers in industry, public administration and academia. The Department of Biotechnology and Food Science  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .

Requirements

Research Field

Chemistry

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Department of Biotechnology and Food Science

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Postal Code

7491

Street

Høgskoleringen 1

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/259250/phd-candidate-in-marine-p…

Contact

City

Trondheim

Website

http://www.ntnu.no

Street

Høgskoleringen 1

Postal Code

7491

STATUS: EXPIRED