PhD in Food Protein Molecular Interactions

Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Scholarship: NZ$26-28,000 (tax exempt) per annum for 3 years + student fees
Start date: early 2016

The Institute:
The Riddet Institute is New Zealand’s national Centre of Research Excellence in Food and Nutrition. It brings together researchers at three Universities and two government research organisations, and has strong international collaborative ties. The Institute is hosted at the Palmerston North campus of Massey University, with on-site access to a wide range of analytical equipment and expertise.

The Project:
Protein-protein intermolecular crosslinks or attractive interactions are an important structural component in foods. They may be endogenous to natural food materials, or may be deliberately or inadvertently introduced by food processing conditions.
There is considerable knowledge about these links in single-source protein food materials, e.g. milk protein systems such as yoghurt and cheese. However, little is known about what types and amounts of protein-protein links are desirable in combinations of proteins from different sources, and how the interaction profile can be rationally manipulated through precision processing.
This PhD project will take a systematic fundamental approach to exploring the interactions between proteins from different sources. This work will build an understanding of how molecular interactions can be optimised by co-processing.

Selection Criteria:
– Masters or Bachelor with Honours degree in food science, chemistry or a related field
– Experience in relevant laboratory-based research and a knowledge of statistics
– GPA above 7 / 9 (B+ average or better)
– Fluency in English, and IELTS/TOEFL/Cambridge certification for non-native English speakers
– Knowledge of protein analysis techniques such as HPLC, SDS-PAGE etc.
– Personal qualities such as curiosity, tenacity, initiative, a strong sense of ethics and a hunger for excellence.
– Other Requirements for entry into the doctoral degree – see www.massey.ac.nz

Application process:
To apply, please email a curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, the names and contact details of three referees, and a letter that describes your research experience to date and explains why you are interested in this project. Please also indicate where you saw this scholarship advertised.