IRP 6

PhD position in

Relating the colloidal and air-water interfacial properties of plant protein systems

Candidates profile

• MSc or equivalent in Bioscience Engineering (preferably with focus on food science), Food Sciences, with a solid training in the areas of food chemistry, food technology, food constituent functionality. A degree with distinction is a requirement.
• Scientific interest, dedication to research and career goal to work in food science (academia or research center), or food industry.
• Appreciation for interdisciplinarity and proactive drive to collaborate across fields.
• Proficiency in English, good communication skill and social competence

Hiring institution: KU Leuven (Leuven, Belgium)

Enrolment in a doctoral programme of the Arenberg Doctoral School, associated to the Science, Engineering & Technology group of KU Leuven, Belgium (https://set.kuleuven.be/phd)

Supervision:

• Main supervisor: prof. Arno Wouters (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Co-supervisor(s): prof. Christophe Chassenieux (Université Le Mans, France)

Objectives:

The impact of various chemical, physical and enzymatic processing steps on the extraction and isolation of plant proteins (with oats as model), including chemical and colloidal characterization of the obtained protein fractions, will be studied. In addition, the impact of varying pre-treatments and environmental conditions (such as pH, ionic strength and temperature) on the bulk self-assembly of native oat proteins will be studied. In both cases, the air-water interfacial and foaming properties of the proteins will be investigated. This will allow establishing relationships between protein physicochemical and colloidal properties on the one hand and their functional properties on the other hand.

Expected results:

• Insight into the impact of various prior processing steps on the composition (proteins and co-extracted constituents), physicochemical and colloidal properties of isolated proteins.
• Mechanistic insights in the foaming properties of plant proteins
• Understanding of the relationship between the state of self-assembly of plant proteins and their interfacial and foaming properties.

Planned secondments

• Université Le Mans (France), prof. Christophe Chassenieux, self-assembly of proteins as function of environmental conditions
• Lund University (Sweden), prof. Lars Nilsson, protein aggregate characterization with UF4-SAXS
• Cargill (Belgium), Dr. Paul Smith and Dr. Katlijn Moelants, characterization of foams

Hosting lab and working environment: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry (LFCB), KU Leuven, Belgium (https://www.biw.kuleuven.be/m2s/clmt/lmcb)

Type of recruitment: Full-time exclusive employment contract including full social security coverage

Foreseen start date: 1st of October 2025

Duration: 36 months on the ESM project. Following the KU Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School requirements, an evaluation moment is foreseen 9 months after the start of the PhD trajectory, after which the trajectory proceeds (in most cases) or can be stopped if the candidate does not meet the quality requirements. The standard duration of a PhD trajectory in Belgium is 48 months. The final PhD year will be covered from other funding sources, on the condition that the candidate is well on track.

Hours per week:  38 hours

Estimated monthly gross salary: Approximately €3055 per month. The exact amount may depend on the social status of the candidate (registered partner with/without income, dependent children, etc.).

Application procedure: via the ESM website.

Application deadline: 31st of May 2025

Contact for more information: prof. Arno Wouters (Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, KU Leuven; arno.wouters@kuleuven.be)