Salary: Grade 7, £37,694- £47,389
Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed term for 10 months (Depending on start date)
About the Team
The School of Engineering & Physical Sciences has a strong international research reputation and close connection with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering and technology.
Our research ranges from fundamental sciences through to engineering applications, all of which are supported by strong external funding. We have around 150 full-time academic staff who drive this research activity and are based in 5 research institutes: the Institute of Chemical Sciences, the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences, the Institute of Mechanical, Process & Energy Engineering, the Institute of Sensors, Signals & Systems and the Institute of Biological Chemistry, BioPhysics & BioEngineering. In REF2021 Physics scored top in the UK for world-leading research outputs, whilst in Engineering our joint submission with the University of Edinburgh was ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for quality and breadth of research based upon the standard Research Power formula as used by the Times Higher Education.
The School of Engineering & Physical Sciences has received the Bronze Award from the Athena SWAN Charter recognising excellence in championing employment of women in the fields of science and technology, engineering and mathematics.
Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs – so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.
Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.
We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.
Detailed Description
The Food Chemistry lab at Heriot-Watt University in the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences is seeking to hire a postdoc in the area of oleogelation for the replacement of animal fats in vegan cheese and bakery products.
This project will follow on from fundamental research on the structure, stability and formation of food oleogels funded by UKRI (EP/J501682/1; BB/M027449/1), and preliminary work on their application in vegan cheese and shortcrust pastry. Here we will further investigate the scale up of this technology to replace saturated fat in vegan dairy applications and pastry for bakery products. Saturated, solid fats are added to formulated foods to give structure and to carry oil soluble flavours and vitamins. However, saturated fats raise blood cholesterol levels and thus are a risk factor in cardio-vascular disease (CVD). Solid fats are predominantly of animal origin and so are also not suitable for vegetarian and vegan products. This can be circumvented by adding palm fat or coconut fat in vegan products. This does not solve the saturated fat issue and introduces a further complication in that palm oil has a poor sustainability image with consumers due to destruction of native habitat to plant oil palm plantations. Currently, vegan cheese relies on coconut or palm oil for structuring, plasticizing and texture modification, whereas palm fat is added to peanut butter to give a solid texture. Oleogelation is a potential solution to both saturated fat and sustainability problems. An oleogel is formed from polyunsaturated liquid oils by adding a gelling molecule, for example a mixture of plant phytosterols or other low molecular weight gelators or polymeric gelators such as proteins. We have studied oleogels as fat replacers for the past ten years and have developed a deep understanding of the underlying physico-chemical principles for gel formation. For example, phytosterols self-associate into nanometer diameter tubules that then further associate to form a network gel that traps the oil in the gel pores and solidifies the liquid oil. Small angle neutron scattering studies we have carried out at the Institute Laue Langevin in Grenoble have confirmed the tubular structure and allowed us to characterize the structure as a double-walled hollow tubule. Any vegetable oil can be solidified using this method, negating the need to use non-sustainably sourced solid plant saturated fats. Using such technology in vegan dairy analogs and pastry would make them not only more sustainable, but also healthier as they would contain only polyunsaturated oils.
We are seeking candidates for a postdoctoral position in the Food Chemistry group in the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering. Applicants should hold a PhD in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics or a related subject. Experience working with foods (or other soft materials) is not essential but would be beneficial. Similarly, although the project will involve significant rheology, texture analysis and some taste panel studies, experience of these although beneficial is not mandatory as full training will be given. Of more importance are the desire and ability to apply fundamental knowledge to real world problems, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to transfer knowledge to the industrial collaborators in this project.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Manage projects in terms of the planning of experimental program, carrying out experiments, curating the data and liaising with the industrial collaborators.
Develop the project by suggesting innovative solutions.
Contribute to the writing of follow on projects.
Collaborate in and/or lead in the preparation of scientific reports and journal articles and present papers, posters and talks.
Act as a source of information and advice to other members of the group on methodologies for oleogel incorporation
Represent the research group at meetings and conferences, either with other members of the group or alone.
Mentor junior members of the group (PhD students or undergraduate research students).
Education, Qualifications and Experience
Essential Criteria
The candidate will:
Hold a PhD or be near completion of a PhD in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics or a related subject.
Experience working with foods or other soft materials.
Familiarity with small angle oscillatory rheology and large deformation texture analysis.
Familiarity with taste panel training, setup and execution.
Experience working in or with the food industry, particularly in the meat and dairy analog space.
Desirable Criteria
Be able to demonstrate competence and success in their PhD research (and postdoctoral work if appropriate), e.g. as judged by publication in high quality peer-reviewed journals. Evidence will be sought of a deep understanding of the applicant's previous fields of research and evidence of independent intellectual and practical contributions to previous research projects.
Possess excellent communication skills, including the ability to lead the writing of journal articles, present research proposals and results, and represent the research group at meetings.
Show an ability to work supportively in a laboratory environment, and to supervise and mentor junior co-workers.