Postdoctoral Fellowship

KU Leuven; Nancy; Sur place; EUR 30 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading university is seeking a Post-Doctoral researcher to contribute to a project on milk glycoproteins' formulation and biofunctional properties. This one-year position in Nancy offers a unique opportunity to engage in innovative research aimed at developing infant formulas that closely resemble human milk.

Qualifications

• Educational background in Food or Medical Engineering or related fields.
• Excellent English knowledge (written and spoken).
• Strong appetite for research and interest in interdisciplinary work.

Responsabilités

• Formulate milk glycoproteins in powder state.
• Assess biofunctional activity including anti-adhesive properties.

Connaissances

Research

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

English Proficiency

Formation

Food Engineering

Pharmacy

Cosmetics

Description du poste

Human milk has incredible power that is naturally exploited by newborns thanks to glycoproteins able to mediate adhesion to pathogens. In addition, it provides the infant with an excellent source of nutrients, which are involved in protecting the neonatal gut from infections. Therefore, breastfeeding is a highly effective strategy for protecting infants from infections. This protective effect has been attributed mainly to the immunoglobulins that are present at very high concentrations in the colostrum. However, milk glycoproteins were also found to be antipathogenic. Glycoproteins are highly abundant in colostrum and human milk, and it is now clear that in addition to providing nutrition, human milk delivers an array of unique bioactive components, including protection. Therefore, the benefit of human milk glycoproteins, with their various functional roles including pathogen deflection, enrichment in a protective intestinal microbiota, and modulation of immunity, are now generally accepted by the scientific community.

Since not all infants have the opportunity to be breastfed, bovine, goat’s, and sheep’s milks are all good candidates for designing infant formula as close as possible to human milk. Mammals’ proteins and glycoproteins share similarities in terms of structures and functionalities, but it is important to highlight that their concentrations in glycoproteins are lower compared to human milk. Therefore, infant formulations need to be enriched with glycoproteins, and industry is actively searching for solutions to obtain natural glycoproteins.

The Post-Doc will participate in this ambitious project focusing on the following aspects:

1. Milk glycoprotein formulation under powder state
2. Biofunctional activity assessment (anti-adhesive properties, cell culture)

Candidate requirements

• Food or medical engineering or related fields (pharmacy, cosmetics…)
• Excellent English knowledge (written and spoken), native speakers welcome
• Strong appetite for research
• Interest in interdisciplinary research

Terms and tenure

This one-year position will be based at the Université de Lorraine – LIBio and IJL - Nancy - FRANCE.

The target start date for the position is 1st November 2025, with some flexibility regarding the exact start date (should start in 2025).

Research Laboratory at LIBio

The scientific project of LIBio is to manage biotic and abiotic interactions of biobased systems to increase their functional properties. Our approach involves architectures with simplified formulations, limited in the number of atoms. A holistic approach for engineering biobased systems will focus on matrices and vectors. Our main systems include (i) nanoliposomes, (ii) protein and polysaccharide matrices and micro/nano-capsules, and (iii) bacterial communities.

Research Laboratory at IJL

The Institute Jean Lamour (IJL) is a joint research unit of CNRS and Université de Lorraine. Focused on materials and process science and engineering, it covers materials, metallurgy, plasmas, surfaces, nanomaterials, and electronics. It includes 183 researchers/lecturers, 91 engineers/technicians/administrative staff, 150 doctoral students, and 25 post-doctoral fellows. It collaborates with over 150 companies and partners with more than 30 countries. Its instrumental platforms are spread over four sites, with the main site located on Artem campus in Nancy.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is 31/08/2025. Applicants will be interviewed by an ad hoc commission by 30/09/2025.

Apply now

Fill out the form below to apply for this position:

• First name *
• Last name *
• Email address *
• Phone number *
• Nationality *
• Country *
• Full CV and list of publications * (allowed file types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF)
• Cover Letter applying for the position * (allowed file types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF)
• Statement of Research * (allowed file types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF)

By submitting your application, you consent to us retaining your personal data for service-related purposes. We value your privacy and will handle your information securely. If you wish for your data to be removed, please contact us directly.

Deadline: 2025-08-31 23:59 (Europe/Paris, CET)

Université de Lorraine promotes innovation through the dialogue of knowledge, taking advantage of the variety and strength of its scientific fields...