Two Engineering Doctorate positions on electrically driven separation processes for proteins (1) and flavours (2)

Within the Membrane Processes for Food (MPF) group, we have two vacancies for EngD candidates who will design novel separation processes in close collaboration with partners from the food industry.

Within the ReCoVR project that revolves around the application of electric fields to bring separation methods to a next level in terms of energy as well as chemical usage we specifically target the separation of proteins and flavours, as valuable components that are of high interest for our industrial partners. It will be your task to design separation systems for one of these two targets.

Proteins are essential elements in human nutrition since they deliver amino acids that are needed for growth as well as maintenance of the body. The production of proteins, more and more comes with high environmental burden, and that implies that alternative sources are becoming more and more relevant. These alternative sources can e.g., be found in streams that are currently considered waste, and thus highly challenging to separate. In general, isolation of proteins is carried out at high energy input, and through that use of high amounts of chemicals, e.g., to change the pH and thus aggregate the proteins. This comes with high cost, and creation of large amounts of salt, and maybe even more importantly will affect the functionality of proteins. In order to mitigate this, the use of an electric field as an additional driving force is applied to create mild, albeit highly effective conditions for separation.

Flavour molecules are essential for appreciation of foods. Quite standardly flavours are created during food preparation, or added, in order to make a food more delicious. These molecules can be extracted from natural sources, or produced on purpose, e.g., through fermentation technology. Although flavour production can be steered during fermentation, there is always a mixture of components that often have a similar chemical signature that are being formed. This also implies that their separation is far from trivial given current separation methods. Also for flavour separation, electric fields will be applied, albeit that in this case the separation surface will be influenced by it, thus leading to active adhesion and removal steps.

These EngD projects are as mentioned part of the ReCoVR project, which implies that as an EngD candidate you will become part of this consortium that exists of 5 academic institutes and 14 industrial partners, and 2 support organisations. Because of the multi-disciplinary character of the two design projects, it is essential that you participate actively in consortium meetings, and work together with others. This will also enrich your experience of working within ReCoVR.

The Membrane Processes for Food (MPF) group is part of the Department of Membrane Science and Technology (MST), often referred to as Twente Membranes. Research in MPF focuses on underlying principles of membrane and other separation processes, and covers transport and interfacial phenomena in processes. In many of the projects, a combination of experimental observations with simulation/model development is targeted. MST consists of several research chairs focused on the development of new membrane materials and modules, membrane characterization, transport phenomena near and through membrane surfaces and the development of membrane processes and applications. MST has a history in membranes stretching back more than 50 years, and is internationally recognized as a leading department in membrane science and technology. The department boasts an impressive track record of over 250 PhD graduates, over 1000 peer reviewed scientific publications and over 40 granted patents, as well as numerous spin-off companies.

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the 'Apply now' button below before 07-03-2025, and include:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.
• A Curriculum Vitae, including the title of your MSc dissertation and graduation date (or planned date), and at least two references.
• An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).