Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioprocess technology – University of Helsinki
18.6.2023https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3633991019
About the job
The postdoctoral researcher will be appointed for a fixed-term 40 month contract to work in an Academy of Finland -funded project entitled “ Multipurpose fungal biorefinery” (MultiFUN). The position is located in the Food Materials Science research group, led by Professor Kirsi Mikkonen at the Department of Food and Nutrition, one of the six units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
The appointed researcher will work in collaboration with the other members of the research team within the University of Helsinki including Docent Kristiina Hildén and Docent Pauliina Lankinen, as well as within Aalto University, including Professor in Practice Pekka Oinas. There is an expectation within MultiFUN for a mobility period during the researcher’s appointment.
The MultiFUN concept is to characterize submerged mycelia cultivation as a
multipurpose fungal biorefinery, with a ground up approach to have superior control and understanding of how to control inputs to maximise outputs in an economically feasible way.
Background
The capacity of Earth to regenerate its own resources is reducing due to the exponential growth of the human population. Simultaneously, climate change may cause productivity variations and diminish the total yield of agricultural production. Revolutionary strategies are urgently needed to produce and distribute enough sustainable and nutritious food. One emerging solution is the submerged cultivation of fungal mycelia, offering the potential to increase food productivity locally using fewer resources. Making food production from mycelia efficient and economically viable requires a better understanding and control of the bioprocess parameters and their connection to the fungal metabolism.
Postdoctoral researcher : We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled researcher with a doctoral degree and experience in bioprocess technology, microbiology, chemistry, or relevant fields.
A successful candidate should be able to:
- Identify, design, conduct, and report research on fungal biomass cultivation and characterization.
- Contribute to proposal writing to apply for further research funding.
- Contribute to master/doctoral student supervision and teaching of biomaterial science, technology, or chemistry.
- Engage with the scientific community, research partners and the wider public, internationally and domestically through scientific publications, conference presentations, press releases, blogs etc.
The candidate is expected to have:
Education, Experience And Technical Skills
- A relevant doctoral degree including experience in biomaterial engineering, microbiology, chemistry, or other related fields.
- Fluency in English and excellent writing skills.
- Experience in working with microbial cultures.
- Capacity and mindset to conduct both fundamental and applied research (targeting future commercialization) is beneficial
Personal attributes and competencies
- Excellent analytical and innovative research planning skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, experienced in working within multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
- High motivation for academic research, having initiative and capable of working independently as well as in team environments.
- Values continuous improvement based on constructive evaluation, self-reflection and learning.
- Flexible mindset and ability to work together and communicate with people from different disciplines.
The salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary of the postdoctoral researcher will be ca. 3400–3600 euros/month, depending on the appointees’ qualifications and experience. A six-month trial period will be applied.
The University of Helsinki invests in the welfare of its employees by offering preventative occupational health services and general medical care. Read more about the employee benefits at the University of Helsinki and why the University of Helsinki is an excellent career choice: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers
How To Apply
The attachment required for the application include (please submit in a single pdf-file):
- A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for the research work and a short research plan (e.g. approach, research materials and methods) (up to 3 pages).
- Curriculum vitae showing the applicant’s education, completed qualifications, work experience, possible list of publications and contact information of 2 persons for references (up to 3 pages).
- Copies of Doctoral, Master’s, and Bachelor’s degree certificates and official transcripts of the records, and their translations, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English.
External applicants, please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via Apply Now button.
Applicants who have a helsinki.fi -username and a valid employment contract, a grant researcher’s contract or a visiting researcher’s contract at the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application by using the employee login.
The closing date for applications is 31 July 2023 at 23:59 EEST.
Further information
- About the position: Project Coordinator Troy Faithfull (troy.faithfull(at)helsinki.fi)
- Recruitment system: HR Specialist Mirkka Juntunen (mirkka.juntunent(at)helsinki.fi)
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry
- Viikki Campus: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/campuses/viikki-campus
- Support for international staff: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/welcome and https://ihhelsinki.fi (International House Helsinki)
About Us
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is nationally unique faculty with a high international standing. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry
The University of Helsinki is among the leading multidisciplinary research universities in the world. In addition to its 11 faculties, the University includes several independent institutes, some of which are jointly operated with other universities. Some 35,000 students are currently pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki.
Why Finland and Helsinki
Finland is a member of the EU, has high quality and inexpensive childcare, free schooling and tertiary training (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families ( https://toolbox.finland.fi/life-society/country-ranking-family-life-for-expats ). Finland also repeatedly tops the World Happiness Report ( https://toolbox.finland.fi/life-society/finland-the-happiest-country-in-the-world ).
- Why Finland is a great place to live and work: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-finland
- Welcome to Helsinki: https://welcome.helsinki
- 10 reasons to work in Helsinki: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-helsinki