In the context of the Purple4Life project that has been recently selected in the CBE-JU call (Horizon EU) on Innovative bio-based food/feed ingredients, we are hiring a Post-Doc to join the ProtMic group of UMONS, which is coordinating the project.
This 4 years project will explore how purple bacteria could be used as innovative food and feed
ingredient. In particular, health promoting effect will be analysed in elderly people consuming purple bacteria (axis 2) and in salmonid fish fed with purple bacteria containing feed (axis 3). Consumer acceptance and environmental and societal impact of the introduction of purple bacteria will also be assessed (axis 4). Four different way of producing purple bacteria will also be tested and optimised always using by-products of the agri-food industry as nutrient for the culture (axis 1).
The hired person would be responsible of the optimisation of the photoheterotroph production of purple bacteria. In addition, for the need of axis 2 and 3 researches, massive amount of purple bacteria will have to be produced. The hired person would also be responsible of this large scale production which represent a challenge!
The hired person would be working in the ProtMic lab (headed by Professor Ruddy Wattiez) under the supervision of Baptiste Leroy and integrated to a group of 7 researchers entirely dedicated to purple bacteria.
The task foreseen in the Purple4Life project consist in both analysis of fundamental aspect of purple bacteria metabolism (using proteomic, metabolomic…) and engineering work to optimise production capacity.
Education
PhD in Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, or Chemical Engineering, background knowledge in mathematical modeling, process optimization, automated control or metabolism analysis is an asset.
Application procedure
The applicants must send their CV as well as motivation letters to baptiste.leroy@umons.ac.be before the 1st of April 2025.
The foreseen starting date of the project is 1st of June.
Key details
- Position: Post-Doctoral Researcher
- Location: UMONS, ProtMic Lab (Prof. Ruddy Wattiez)
- Application deadline: April 1st, 2025
- Start date: June 1st, 2025
- Contact: Applications (CV & motivation letter) should be sent to baptiste.leroy@umons.ac.be
