Researcher in food hygiene - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description

 Okara is the by-product from soy milk- and tofu production, and the corresponding by-product from oat-milk production. To enable a circular flow and increase the resource efficiency in the entire agricultural sector, it is necessary to use the residual streams from the food industry to as great extent as possible. To create an added value for these streams, the material has to be upcycled.

In this project, we will examine how Okara from soy and oat, can be developed into sustainable food products or ingredients. However, Okara has a low degree of utilization because the material is rapidly spoiled by microorganisms. The project aims to find necessary process conditions and appropriate food hygiene interventions to ensure a safe and sustainable raw material and find novel food application areas. Various industrial processes such as drying, extrusion, thermal and mechanical impact, and fermentation will be taken into account in terms of needs and cost-effectiveness compared to the added value obtained through these processes.

 Work duties

• Research within the subject area
• Teaching in the first, second and third cycles of studies
• Supervision of degree projects and doctoral students
• Collaboration with industry and wider society

  Qualification requirements

Applicants must have:

• A PhD or equivalent research qualification within the subject of the position
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English and Swedish
• Excellent knowledge of food hygiene, food microbiology related to plant-based materials
• Experience in teaching project courses

 Assessment criteria and other qualifications

• Substantial knowledge and solid practical experience in:
  • Culture dependent and independent microbiology analysis methods focused on food safety and food hygiene 
  • Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), amplicon sequencing with Illumina Miseq and subsequent bioinformatic analysis of data
  • Culturing of different types of microorganisms, and knowledge of their specific nutrient needs and growth conditions

Experience of ultrafiltration and fermentation processes

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment

Temporary position, 100 %
Fixed-term employment, 6 months

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• Résumé/CV, including a list of publications
• A general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages)
• Contact information of at least two references
• Copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered