PhD Student - Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering

Last application date Feb 28, 2025 00:00

Department TW11 - Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering

Contract Limited duration

Degree Master in Engineering / Sciences

Occupancy rate 100%

Vacancy type Research staff

Job description

Controlling food texture has prominent implications ranging from food sustainability to its acceptability by individual consumers, passing through nutritional and health-related aspects. Food can be considered as a composite material whose texture is ruled by its microstructure, and therefore can be treated as a particle reinforced matrix generating the texture perceived by the consumer. Sustainability and food personalization motivate this interdisciplinary doctoral research that combines food engineering, rheology and computational mechanics of fluids and solids. A gelled emulsion will be designed as a food composite. The rheology-microstructure relationship will be modeled and linked to the final texture via 3D printing. In this doctoral research, a state-of-the-art computational multiscale framework for food engineering will be developed.
This PhD research has three main objectives:
1. Develop innovative plant-based, food-grade inks with adjustable textural properties for extrusion-based 3D printing.
2. Define principles that connect food microstructure with the final texture, using direct simulation methods to monitor the transition from fluid to solid state.
3. Create an integrated computational process for predicting and designing personalized textures of 3D printed food prior to experimental testing.

Job profile

The candidate for this position must hold a Master's degree in a relevant field of engineering or applied sciences. A demonstrated background in computational mechanics and/or programming skills combined with experimental work is a clear advantage. The candidate will be supported by an interdisciplinary team led by three professors belonging to three research groups: Mechanics of Materials and Structures research group (MMS), Food Structure and Function research group (FSF) and Centre for Polymer and Material Technologies (CPMT). FSF belongs to the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering whilst MMS and CPMT are from the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

How to apply

Send your application or any questions concerning this vacancy to:

• Prof. Dr. Francisco A. GILABERT (Fran), fran.gilabert@ugent.be
• Prof. Dr. Koen DEWETTINCK, koen.dewettinck@ugent.be
• Prof. Dr. Flavio H. MARCHESINI, flavio.marchesini@ugent.be

IMPORTANT: Please put these three email addresses in ALL your communications.
Applications should include:

• Your CV (add info like: publications, participation in conferences, training courses, research activities, etc)
• A personal motivation letter of 1 page
• A transcript of courses taken and their grades within bachelor and master studies
• Contact information of three reference persons
   

After screening, selected candidates will be invited for an online interview as a first contact in a multi-stage selection process.

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 28 February 2025.