Associate Professor in Molecular Food Biotechnology

We are looking for an associate professor in the field of molecular food biotechnology who wants to contribute to the development of this area at Chalmers and collaborate across divisions at the Department of Biology and Biological engineering. We believe that this research will lead to new fundamental knowledge to aid the transformation of the food system into a sustainable and resilient system that provides healthy and tasty foods for consumers, in collaboration with societal actors and industry. 

Information about the division
The Food and Nutrition Science Division (FNS) aims to bring together the latest methodology and technology to understand and conceptualise how to produce sustainable and high-quality foods that contribute to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Our vision is healthy foods for a sustainable future. With the combination of expertise, topics, and approaches, spanning from sustainable food production in a bioeconomy context, targeted food composition and food quality analyses to the development and application of data-driven methods to understand the interplay between human genetics, microbiota and nutrition, FNS is recognized on a top five position in Europe with the potential to become a global leader in some specific areas.

This position could include any or several aspect of molecular food biotechnology as defined below. 

Information about the research area
Molecular food biotechnology is a broad area that uses molecular techniques to understand and engineer metabolic pathways and biochemical reactions related to quality improvement of conventional or underutilized food raw materials, manufacturing of food additives or introduction of novel raw materials into the food chain (e.g., insects, lignocellulose, algae). It can exploit raw materials derived from primary production or side streams thereof using microorganisms such as yeast, fungi, microalgae or bacteria or their enzymes and metabolites.

The subject includes biotechnology processes such as traditional fermentation, brewing and precision fermentation where cell factories produce specific molecules and/or remove antinutrients that may ultimately improve sensory characteristics, functional attributes and nutrient bioaccessibility of a wide variety of food raw materials. The subject also covers de novo production of foods (e.g. meat/fish tissue, single cells) or ingredients (e.g. proteins, lipids, high value nutrients) via cell cultures using biotechnology in combination with tissue engineering, molecular biology and synthetic biology. This approach can replace or supplement traditional agri-/aquaculture. OMICs- techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics coupled to data-driven approaches based on machine-learning and AI are central for the development and characterization of the microbial populations, processes and foods ultimately produced and consumed. Research in this area will have a direct impact on consumers, the food industry, and society. 

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibilities as associate professor involve teaching on undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, as well as performing your own research. The position also includes supervising PhD students, taking part in leadership and administration and actively applying for external funding. Another important aspect involves collaboration within academia and with society at large.

Following aspects are particularly relevant, but not restricted, to the proposed research:
- Data science to advance research within molecular food biotechnology
- De novo protein and lipid production using single cells in combination with high nutrient side streams from the food industry as cultivation media. This area has possibilities for sequential cultivation/co-cultivation of different organisms with different nutritional demands.
- Cellular agriculture/aquaculture to produce new food raw materials to integrate into the food chain
- Precision fermentation of novel and underutilized food raw materials and side-streams to: Produce nutrients, vitamins and high-value compounds and/or degrading anti-nutrients to improve micro- and macronutrient bioaccessibility
- Disintegrate and liberate proteins and high-value chemicals aiding their extractability
- Establishing molecular/ bioanalytical techniques to characterize food components and/or their reactions in raw material, bioprocesses and final food products.

Contract terms
Full-time permanent employment.

Qualifications
* A strong publication record with demonstrated independence, in the field of molecular food biotechnology.
* Pedagogical competencies and a documented record of research-based teaching, including the creation and running of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
* Experience in supervising Bachelor, Master's and PhD students.
* Successful at attracting external funding.

Meritorious:
* Ability to develop collaborative research project ideas.
* A collaborative and innovative mind set.
* Successful track record in industry collaboration and an entrepreneurial mindset.
* Excellent interpersonal and communicative skills.
* Excellent team and project management skills, including experience from international collaborative research projects.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in Swedish and English.  If Swedish is not your native language, we would like you to be able to teach in Swedish on undergraduate level after a few years. Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Learn more and apply on Chalmers website: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/Working-at-Chalmers/Vacancies/Pages/default.aspx?rmpage=job&rmjob=10688&rmlang=UK

Application deadline: August 31, 2022

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***