Postdoc in Marine Ingredient Functionality (Food)

Job Description

A 2-year postdoc position on the topic of marine-derived food ingredient functionality is available from September 2024 within SDU Biotechnology, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark. The position is part of the EU-project ‘FOODIMAR – sustainable climate-friendly quality food ingredients from marine side-streams. 

The Candidate:

We are looking for a skilled candidate with a PhD in Food Chemistry/Science/Technology or similar. The candidate should be committed to working between food characterization, product development, and innovation. Expertise in rheology, microscopy and spectroscopy, chemical characterization, texture analysis, and related physicochemical and soft matter characterization methods is requested, and experience with marine derived ingredients and/or emulsions/foams/gels is a plus. The candidate should have a strong drive to engage with industry collaboration.

The candidate is expected to engage in scientific discussions and collaborate within the research group and with project partners and contribute positively to the research team environment. An open communication form, good scientific writing skills, and a curious and interdisciplinary mind-set are expected skills. English proficiency is required. Supervision of students is to be expected.

The Project:

This position is part of the EU-funded project FOODIMAR involving several research and innovation partners in Europe (), aiming to develop innovative, cost-effective and sustainable methods for producing and applying high-quality ingredients from marine side-streams to formulate food products.

The increased demands for marine food consumption and high levels of food loss and waste challenges blue ecosystems and is unsustainable. At the same time, side-streams from fisheries and aquaculture can be valorized to obtain functional ingredients for food products. 

This project will investigate the functionality of both pure ingredients (e.g. gelatine, collagen, GAGs) and less refined mixtures obtained from fish and jellyfish side-streams and by-catch. The work will involve investigation of the ingredients under different physicochemical conditions and testing their application in liquid and solid prototype food products using a range of instrument characterization methods and to some degree sensory evaluation. The project will require close collaboration with product development partners, and engagement with partners involved in other aspects of the project (chemical characterization, processing, sustainability assessment), as well as assist in assessment of jellyfish supply chain in Denmark. 

The research environment:

The postdoc will work in the SDU FOODLAB under the guidance of Associate Professor Mathias P. Clausen. SDU FOODLAB explores food materials from fundamental science to product innovation under the paradigm that fundamental understandings of food and curiosity will accelerate food innovation. The team includes several postdocs and PhD students working in related research topics and consists of colleagues from diverse scientific backgrounds.

Further information about this position is available from Associate Professor Mathias P. Clausen, [email protected], +45 6550 7425.

Conditions of employment 
Employment as a postdoc requires scientific qualifications at PhD level. Employment as a postdoc is temporary and will cease without further notice at the end of the period.

Research will be predominant in the position. Teaching assignments can be agreed individually. Furthermore, other types of assignments may occur to a limited degree. The Faculty determines the distribution of the various assignments. The weighting of the different assignments may vary over time.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

The assessment process
Read about the Assessment and selection process. Shortlisting may be used. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

Application procedure

The application must be in English and must include:

Application deadline : May 17, 2024, 11:59pm (CET).

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link ‘Apply online’. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF (unlocked) or Word format.

Each field can only contain a single file of a maximum of 10 megabytes.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

According to the University of Southern Denmark’s internal guidelines, there must be at least three qualified applicants to a position before it can be filled.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

If you experience technical problems, you must contact [email protected]. 

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU