28 Jan 2025
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE)- Department
0638 UMET- Research Field
Engineering » Materials engineering- Researcher Profile
Recognised Researcher (R2)- Country
France- Application Deadline
4 Mar 2025 - 23:59 (UTC)- Type of Contract
Permanent- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
1 Sep 2025- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by a EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
Your work will be carried out within the Joint research unit Matériaux Et Transformations - UMR UMET (https://umet.univ-lille.fr/ ) and in particular within the Processes at Interfaces and Materials Hygiene team (PIHM, https://umet.univ-lille.fr/PIHM/index.php?lang=fr ) in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, which produces knowledge to control hygiene and processing quality in the agrifood industry. This team comprising 35 people is internationally recognized for its expertise in food processing hygiene. It is the benchmark unit in the INRAE landscape addressing these issues.
These skills are all the more crucial as transitions in agrifood systems have led to the emergence of new sources of protein (plant protein, etc.) obtained using various industrial processes affecting their functional properties (solubility and aggregation rate). This leads to the formation of fouling deposits on heat exchangers that differ from those observed during the pasteurization/UHT treatment of more conventional products such as dairy products. These deposits are costly in terms of environmental resources (water, energy and detergent) and are potential sources of microbiological risk.
In the context of the transition in food systems, as well as the urgent need to reinforce the sustainability of these systems, the scientific challenge is to eco-design reliable and sustainable processes that will make it possible to control the quality of food containing new protein sources, as well as processing hygiene, while preserving the environment.
To meet these challenges, you will develop a research project with two main objectives aimed at:
1) Using a multi-scale approach (molecular to pilot), understanding the process-structure-property relationships of foods containing new protein sources, and elucidate the mechanisms of surface contamination.
2) Developing adapted and innovative processing and hygiene processes to limit surface contamination and reduce the environmental impact of the process and cleaning-in-place while guaranteeing the safety of the processed product.
The stages envisaged for your future project will be developed in partnership with the other researchers in the team and may include:
- Molecular-level studies of the material/food interface, in particular the denaturation and aggregation phenomena of these proteins during UHT and pasteurization treatments, using innovative characterization techniques.
- Studying the impact of operating conditions (physico-chemistry of solutions and process parameters) on the thermal transformation of these new protein sources.
- Improving the eco-performance of the process by setting up a pilot-scale test loop in the technological facilities, integrating the specific features of alternative proteins.
- Developing predictive models based on experimental data, leading to a better understanding and control of protein fouling.
- Developing innovative clean-in-place processes for protein fouling.
In terms of equipment, you will have access to the technological facilities (pilot scale to reproduce industrial processing and cleaning phenomena), a technical platform for advanced surface modification and characterization of materials, as well as techniques for physico-chemical and biochemical characterization of proteins. Numerous characterization tools are also available on the Institut Chevreul platforms to which the UMET unit belongs (electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, X-ray scattering, etc.).
You will benefit from strong, long-term collaborations with the STLO and BioEcoAgro Joint Research Units, as well as established international and industrial collaborations. Current projects include the International Associated Laboratories (LIA) FOODPRINT in partnership with Suzhou University (China) and SAMBA with the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil), the PROTEINOPEPS industrial chair with INGREDIA, and industrial collaborations with NxtFood. You will also develop a network of collaborations to study the processing of not purely dairy proteins and the associated hygiene problems.
Where to apply
- Website
- https://jobs.inrae.fr/en/open-competitions/open-competions-research-scientists-…
Requirements
- Research Field
- Engineering
- Education Level
- PhD or equivalent
Additional Information
- Website for additional job details
https://jobs.inrae.fr/en/open-competitions/open-competions-research-scientists-…
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE)
- Country
- France
- City
- VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ
- Postal Code
- 59650
- Geofield
Contact
- City
VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ- Website
https://jobs.inrae.fr/en/open-competitions/open-competions-research-scientists-crcn- Postal Code
59650
guillaume.delaplace@inrae.fr
STATUS: EXPIRED
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