NAPIC Research and Innovation Fellow in Colloid Chemistry of Alternative Proteins

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in colloid and interface science and interests in discovering new knowledge in alternative proteins? Are you interested to explore the innovation potential of a scientific discovery to bring the research to marketplace by working with food industry stakeholders? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities?

We are looking for a Research and Innovation Fellow to join a project funded by the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC). NAPIC is a £38m entity (including a £15m UKRI investment) to lead the UK’s alternative protein knowledge and Innovation ecosystem. NAPIC’s vision is to make alternative proteins mainstream for a sustainable planet. The centre is led by the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, Imperial College London and the James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with over 100 national and international partners. NAPIC is a cohesive pan-UK centre poised to revolutionise the UK’s agri-food sector by harnessing our world-leading science base through a co-created alternative protein strategy across the Discovery → Innovation → Commercialisation pipeline to support the transition to a sustainable, high growth, blended protein bioeconomy. NAPIC features four integrated activity streams: research to address innovation challenges; a national alternative protein knowledge base; workforce of the future; and accessible Innovation facilities. 

NAPIC is actively recruiting a number of Research and Innovation Fellows across the four leading organisations. We seek highly motivated researchers across a range of disciplines who are eager to lead the UK’s alternative protein revolution. These Research and Innovation fellows will benefit from collaborations (industry and academia), international placement opportunities and tailored entrepreneurship training. They can also lead their own alternative protein agile projects within the centre.   

NAPIC is actively recruiting a number of Research and Innovation Fellows across the four leading organisations. We seek highly motivated researchers across a range of disciplines who are eager to lead the UK’s alternative protein revolution. These Research and Innovation fellows will benefit from collaborations (industry and academia), international placement opportunities and tailored entrepreneurship training. They can also lead their own alternative protein agile projects within the centre.   

This particular project will be using a combination of experimental colloidal measurements and data science to collate and compare the functional properties of plant proteins with well-established animal proteins with a view to predicting the performance of plant proteins that might most successfully replace current animal-based food structures in ingredients or in finished food formulations.  The sorts of functional properties that are key are: solubility, molecular dimensions, interfacial tension, protein surface load, foam- and emulsion- stabilizing properties, interfacial rheological properties, gelation and tribological properties.

Data mining will be used to collate these properties where they exist or fill in key gaps via laboratory measurement.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) and established machine learning (ML) tools will then be used to develop predictive relationships between the fundamental properties of the individual proteins: amino acid sequence (e.g., from the Protein Data Bank); protein charge; molecular weight of the monomer & its aggregation number(s) and their colloidal performance. This will speed up the search for untested alternative proteins and/or their fragments/ combinations that can mimic the properties of traditional animal proteins such as caseins, gelatin, etc. 

You will join a highly dynamic, interdisciplinary team focusing on the whole theme of alternative proteins, collaborating with a wide range of academics and industrial partners, helping to run workshops, develop micro credentials and outreach activities as well as conducting your own research program.  

You will have a PhD in Food Science, Physical chemistry, Material Science or a closely related discipline together with a strong background in colloid and interfacial science. You will also have a positive attitude to collaborative research and the drive to make a significant contribution to making this ground-breaking project a success.

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa.

For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/global-talent

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more! 

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Professor Anwesha Sarkar, Professor of Colloids and Surfaces

Email: A.Sarkar@leeds.ac.uk