AS PHD CANDIDATE, YOU WILL BE PART OF THE PROJECT SHIELT – SHELF-LIFE FOR PLANT-BASED MEAT ALTERNATIVES. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP PREDICTIVE MICROBIOLOGY AND RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO SUPPORT SAFE-BY-DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF PLANT-BASED MEAT ALTERNATIVES IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY AND LIMITING FOOD WASTE. THE NOVELTY OF THE PROJECT RELIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-SPECIES PREDICTION MODELS AND RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS DESCRIBING THE DYNAMICS AND INTERACTIONS OF SPOILAGE MICROORGANISMS AND PATHOGENS INCLUDING LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES AND BACILLUS CEREUS IN PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS. THE SHIELT PROJECT IS IN COLLABORATION WITH WAGENINGEN FOOD BIOBASED RESEARCH (WFBR) AND VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• use experimental and literature data to develop mathematical microbial kinetics models and quantitative risk assessments;
• develop user-friendly tools for quality and safety assessment of plant-based meat analogues;
• supervise BSc and MSc thesis research projects;
• participate in education as supervisor;
• publish results and findings in peer reviewed journals.

• use experimental and literature data to develop mathematical microbial kinetics models and quantitative risk assessments;
• develop user-friendly tools for quality and safety assessment of plant-based meat analogues;
• supervise BSc and MSc thesis research projects;
• participate in education as supervisor;
• publish results and findings in peer reviewed journals