MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF)

Phone: +34976761658

Description

We are looking for candidates with expertise in NANOMATERIALS, PACKAGING MATERIALS (recycled/biodegradable), PACKAGING DESIGN (adhesives, coatings, barrier properties, etc), ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY that want to apply for a MSCA PF with our research group on the food safety of emergent packaging materials (IAS and NIAS) and/or the development of active food packaging. We're not interested in candidates with expertise in natural extract production and their bioactivities.

The University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR) (https://www.unizar.es/) is a leader university in promoting research, development and innovation in the Region of Aragón (Spain). This University includes over 30,000 students, 1700 in PhD Programmes and 2000 in Master Studies and 1500 faculty and staff members. UNIZAR will provide the hosted researcher with all the finest arrangements during the stay. UNIZAR also has available a European Projects Office and Patent Office that will manage this IF and guarantee its success.

The Analytical Research Group (GUIA) (HOSTING GROUP) (https://i3a.unizar.es/es/grupos-de-investigacion/guia) from the Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) (https://i3a.unizar.es/en) at UNIZAR, has more than 30 years devoted to the research on the food safety of packaging materials, both from chemical and biological points-of-view.Since then, more than 200 research projects have been carried out, 7 of them European Projects. The research of the GUIA Group is well known and well recognized at both national and international level. This group currently includes 19 members: 6 staff researchers, 5 senior researchers, 4 PhD students, 3 technical experts and 1 technician.

Our main lines of research are:

• Identification and quantification of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) coming from food packaging
• Food contact materials risk assessment with the performance of migration (global and specific) tests according to Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and analysis of food packaging components (additives, adhesives, inks, among others)
• Development and validation of analytical methods based on chromatography and mass spectrometry in different areas such as packaging, environment, food, cosmetics or biological fluids and food-packaging interactions
• Development of active (antioxidant and antimicrobial) food packaging and the in situ testing of the materials developed
• Use of nanomaterials or nanomolecules (cyclodextrins monomers and polymers and cellulose nanofibrils) for the development of active packaging or controlled-release systems

The facilities of the GUIA group include a laboratory for sample treatment, two well equipped analytical chemistry laboratories and a biosafety II level Microbiology lab.

The Analytical Chemistry Labs are equipped with: 3 gas chromatographs with mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS); 1 GC with high resolution mass spectrometry detection (APGC-MS-QTOF); 1 gas chromatograph with olfactometry and MS detection (GC-O-MS); 1 gas chromatograph with flame ionization detection (GC-FID); 4 autosamplers for liquid ,head-space and SPME injection; 4 ultra-high resolution Liquid chromatographs (UPLC); 2 high resolution liquid chromatographs (HPLC); 7 detectors coupled to the liquid chromatography (2 triple quadrupole mass spectrometers (QqQ), 1 Quadrupole-Time of flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer, 1 Q-TOF-Ion mobility mass spectrometer (Q-TOF-IM), 1 dual absorbance , 1 Photo-diode array, 1 scanning fluorescence); 1 Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS).

The Food Microbiology Lab is located at the Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A) building. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this lab is categorized as a biosafety level II Microbiology lab. This lab is equipped with an autoclave, a -80 ºC freezer and 1 level II biosafety cabinet. Several ovens and refrigerators, centrifuges, as well as an orbital incubator, a state-of-the-art real-time PCR, a Headspace Gas Analyser OXYBABY®, a multiwell plate reader and optical microscope are also available in this lab. Additionally, this lab also has an atmosphere generator Anoxomat 3.0 capable of generating both anaerobic and microaerophilic atmospheres, as well as a PM100 planetary ball mill with 50 and 500 mL jars of zirconium oxide that can be used for mechanochemical green synthesis of nanomaterials.