Postdoc in enzymatic processes for food protein nanofibrils

Job description

We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow to take part in developing protein structures for new sustainable food products. Changing our food system is a key aspect in the transition to a sustainable society. In this process, new innovative ways of processing proteins are needed to achieve attractive structural and functional properties for food products that can facilitate the "protein shift", from animal to plant resources. In this project, we will investigate how protein nanofibrils can be efficiently produced from different plant resources using enzymatic pretreatment. We will then evaluate the produced fibrils as building blocks in model systems for food and study how the structures are degraded in our food digestion system. The project will provide new knowledge that can constitute the basis for a more sustainable society as well as give us new insights into the biochemical properties of protein/amyloid fibrils.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to have a leading role in projects with responsibility for running and further developing it. The position provides great opportunities for an ambitious researcher to develop skills within a rapidly growing research field at the interface between biochemistry, biopolymers and food science.

More information about the research group can be found here.

What we offer

• A position at a leading technical university that generates knowledge and skills for a sustainable future
• Engaged and ambitious colleagues along with a creative, international and dynamic working environment
• Work in Stockholm, in close proximity to nature
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH

Read more about what it is like to work at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

To be considered for this position, it is required that you have:

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree in a relevant subject area, e.g. food science, bio-based materials, biochemistry or structural biology. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Demonstrated scientific skill in the form of publications in scientific journals.
• High degree of independence in the design and implementation of research.
• Good ability to collaborate within a research group.
• Significant practical experience of laboratory work.
• Good ability to express oneself orally and in writing in English, since this is required in the daily work.

Preferred qualifications

• A doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign degree, obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline

It will also be considered as strong merits if you have:

• Experience of laboratory work with enzymatic processes and/or amyloid protein.
• Practical experience with one or more of the following methods: fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rheology, mass spectrometry, X-ray scattering.
• Well-documented skill in scientific writing.
• Experience from teaching or training students in laboratory work.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Trade union representatives

You will find contact information to trade union representatives at KTH's webbpage.

To apply for the position

Log into KTH's recruitment system in order to apply for this position. You are the main responsible to ensure that your application is complete according to the ad.

The application must include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Personal letter (containing a description of earlier experiences within the scientific field and a motivation for your interest in this assignment).
• Contact details to three references. 

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

The position may include security-sensitive activities. To become authorized, you therefore need to pass a possible security check.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

About KTH

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy. Read more here

1. Christofer Lendel, lendel@kth.se