Doctoral Researcher in Material science / Food science / Chemistry

at  Helsingin Yliopisto

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki invites applications for the position of a Doctoral Researcher in Material science / Food science / Chemistry
The Doctoral researcher will be appointed for a fixed-term 4-year contract (Start date: September 1, 2024 or as agreed) to work in a project entitled “Engineering food-grade materials for combating obesity”. The position will be supervised by Dr. Saman Sabet (Food and nutrition) and Professor Kirsi Mikkonen (Food and nutrition), one of the six units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
This research aims to develop food-grade materials to disrupt fat digestion and absorption, offering a solution to obesity comparable to leading anti-obesity medications but without adverse effects. We will engineer a variety of food-grade materials using different methods. These materials will be characterized with cutting-edge technologies, and their safety and effectiveness in addressing obesity will be investigated through advanced chemical, biochemical, microbiota, and in vitro gastrointestinal analyses, as well as preclinical tests.
Doctoral researcher: We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a Master’s degree and experience in material science, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiota analysis, gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests, or related field.

A successful candidate should be able to:

• Identify, design, conduct, and report research within the scope of the project.
• Contribute to undergraduate student supervision and teaching within the department.
• Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public, internationally and domestically through scientific publications, conference presentations, press releases, blogs etc.

The appointee is expected to have:

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

• A relevant Master’s degree including experience in material science, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiota analysis, gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests, or related field.
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills.
• Experience in microbiota analysis (e.g., using qPCR), gastrointestinal digestion/absorption tests (e.g., using TIM-1 and TIM-2, Caco-2/HT29-MTX coculture model), mucus permeability tests, and cytotoxicity is preferred, though not necessary.

ABOUT US

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus, ten kilometres from the Helsinki city centre. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large.
www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry
The Department of Food and Nutrition is a one of the six departments of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The Department employs about 140 people including 25 teaching positions. We address the challenges of food system sustainability by researching and developing food ingredients and production methods that support the transition to a healthier and more sustainable diet. In our changing society, the need for research-based knowledge on food, diets and their health effects as well as the special needs of different consumer groups is growing. Food innovation activities are part of our teaching and research. The department hosts both the BSc and MSc programmes “Food Science” and the MSc programme “Human Nutrition and Food Related Behaviour”.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry/research/food-and-nutrition
Helsingin yliopisto
Helsinki
Kokopäiväinen
Julkaistu 25.06.2024
Yrityksen liikevaihto:
Yli 100 000 000 €
Yrityksen koko:
Yli 1000 henkilö

Please refer the Job description for details