Research Fellow in Yeast Fermentation Science

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in food biotechnology and interests in designing novel yeast fermentation products and bio-fortification of the yeast? Are you passionate about developing multidisciplinary research? 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 an Innovate UK-funded Research Fellow to join a highly dynamic, interdisciplinary team; focusing on the development of a fortified yeast strain following a fermentation of a range of fruit and vegetable commercial side-streams and processing. You will actively collaborate with experts in the School of Food Science and Nutrition from food engineering, fermentation science, biopolymer science including colloids and functional nanomaterials design, and with commercial food industrial stakeholders (large as well as small-scale industries).
You will work on the development of yeast strain development for use as a fortified strain in the fermentation industry with potential as a standalone product. You will also identify high value metabolites produced by the yeast during the fermentations. Furthermore, you will test the feasibility of upcycling vegetables loss to formulate a growth media for the microorganisms, lowering production costs and promoting circular economy. This will involve integrating microbial fermentation optimization and will build into an advanced artificial intelligence database which is currently one of the core missions within the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds. A knowledge of analytical biosciences such as HPLC, ICP-OES, NMR would be an advantage but not essential as training will be provided.

You will have a PhD (or have submitted your final thesis) in Food Science, Biotechnology, Biopolymer Science, Microbiology, Analytical Biochemistry, Biochemistry, or a related discipline. A background in yeast microbiology, analytical biochemistry and biopolymers would be desired but not essential given relevant experience in research. You will also have a positive approach to collaborative research and the drive to make a significant contribution to make this ground breaking project a success.