NMBU has a particular responsibility for research and education that secures the basis for the life of future generations. Sustainability is rooted in everything we do and we deliver knowledge for life.
NMBU has 1,800 employees of which about 250 phd scholarships and 6,000 students. The university is divided into seven faculties and has campuses in Ås and Oslo. We will be co-located in Ås from 2021.NMBU believes that a good working environment is characterised by diversity.
We encourage qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, functional ability, cultural background or whether you have been outside the labour market for a period. If necessary, workplace adaptations will be made for persons with disabilities.
More information about NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no.
About The Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science
The Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science (KBM) employs about 160 people. Currently about 50 PhD students are enrolled into our PhD program. KBM represents a broad range of scientific fields encompassing basic natural sciences such as microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry as well as the application of these towards food chemistry, technology and safety, biotechnology, bioprocessing and environmental issues. The Faculty is responsible for education, research and information within our fields of expertise and also has state-of-the-art instrumentation to perform research within these fields. KBM collaborates in networks and research projects both nationally and internationally.
Are you interested in production of sustainable plant-based food for the future? This is the job position for you!
About the position
The Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science (KBM) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3 year PhD–position related to Food Fermentation.
The position is funded by NMBU.The regular intake of plant-based foods is recommended to increase and partially replace animal proteins in the human diet. Legumes and cereals have the potential to support the global protein demand, however, they also contain some undesirable compounds considered as anti-nutritional factors (ANF).
Fermentation represents an attractive alternative for processing of legumes and cereals, especially related to the removal of ANF, and will be the focus of this PhD project entitled “Sustainable exploitation of legumes and cereals in fermentation - a microbiome approach”.
The main aim of the project is to provide a knowledge platform regarding fermentation of legumes and cereals for optimal utilization of plant-based protein rich raw materials (preferably Norwegian) to produce healthy, attractive and sustainable food products.
Main tasks
The main activities will be linked to the following:
Microbiota studies of legumes and cereals during fermentation.
Metabolome-based studies of the fermentation process.
Characterization and identification of prominent bacterial and yeast strains.
Establishment of a strain collection for fermentation of plant materials.
Testing of strains from the strain collection as functional starters.
The successful candidate is expected to have a PhD education plan approved by KBM during the first months of the appointment and to complete a PhD within the PhD scholarship period.
Competence
The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are at master's degree level. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description. The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject (food microbiology).
Required academic qualifications
Master’s degree within food science, microbiology, biotechnology, or biochemistry.
Fundamental knowledge in food chemistry.
Required and desired experiences
Practical experience with microbiological laboratory work.
Practical experience with modern -omics methods in microbiology.
Experience with chromatography.
Biostatistics
Programming language (e.g. R).
You need to have:
Strong motivation and commitment.
Curiosity and high motivation for research.
Accuracy and patience with experimental work.
Ability to work hard and independently.
Good collaborative skills.
Strong communication skills, both written and oral English, and preferably a Scandinavian language.
Good examination results within the mentioned required academic qualifications are required. We expect that the candidate will successfully publish research findings in high-impact peer reviewed journals.
Remuneration and further information
The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. fellow. PhD. fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 482.200,-) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.
To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
Application deadline: 20.05.21
Applications should include (electronically) a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, full publication list, copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified), and a list of two persons who may act as references (with phone numbers and e-mail addresses).
Publications should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant NMBU Department may require further documentation, e.g. proof of English proficiency.
Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within 20.04.21. Please quote reference number 21/02424
If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.
