Summary

Applications are invited to pursue a 48-month fully funded PhD Studentship at the School of Microbiology and the School of Food and Nutritional Science at University College Cork (UCC). The PhD studentship is funded by the Horizon Europe Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024) programme as part of a project “Marine Biomass Valorization for Food and Feed Innovation" (MARMADE). The successful candidate will join Dr Gaurav Rajauria and will be part of a highly motivated and diverse team of researchers at the BioREFINE Research Group based at the SUSFERM Centre for Sustainable Fermentation and Bioprocessing Systems for Food and the Bioeconomy; School of Microbiology; and School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at UCC, Ireland. Dr Rajauria’s research is interdisciplinary and will allow candidates to develop their skills in a variety of areas, including circular bioeconomy, biobased refineries, biomass valorisation, advanced pretreatment technologies, microbial fermentation, bioprocessing, biomanufacturing and bioanalytical science.

Background and objectives 

The main objective of MARMADE is to develop a portfolio of innovative food and feed ingredients from marine biomass that are affordable, nutritious, safe, healthy and sustainable. The MARMADE project aims to develop sustainable, high-value food and feed ingredients from marine biomass, focusing on crustacean residues (shrimp shells and blue crabs) and seaweed. The key objectives are to 1) establish efficient biorefinery processes for extracting ingredients (pre/postbiotics, vitamins, peptides, oligosaccharides, fats, emulsifiers, and digestibility enhancers); 2) develop innovative food and feed prototypes with improved nutritional and sensory properties; 3) ensure compliance with safety, sustainability, and regulatory standards, paving the way for future market uptake. To achieve these objectives, MARMADE will leverage advanced technologies, including Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs), Supercritical CO₂ extraction, dynamic high-pressure processing (e.g., microfluidization, high-pressure homogenization), wet milling, screw pressing, ultrasonication, and cavitation, to optimize extraction efficiency and maintain the purity of bio-based food and feed ingredients. The project contributes to the Farm to Fork Strategy by enhancing the nutritional profiles of food products and aligns with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy by fostering bio-based cascading extraction processes. Additionally, MARMADE promotes environmental sustainability by integrating the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). The MARMADE project is a HORIZON EU project involving partners and industry collaborators from Ireland, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom, therefore the candidate would have an excellent opportunity to engage and build collaborations at the European levels.

Key tasks in the PhD Studentship include:

• Establish advanced and sustainable biorefinery processes for the extraction of high-quality building blocks from marine biomass, implementing a zero-waste concept through a cascade approach
• Develop selective and tailored extraction technologies for marine biomass
• Enhance the efficiency of extraction technologies and ensure the recovery of targeted biomolecules in high purity, integrating innovative technologies and optimizing parameters.
• Produce high-quality ingredients, and scale up the processes from lab scale to pilot scale
• Complete PhD credits as per structured PhD program requirements as set out by University College Cork.

Eligibility criteria 

Essential:

• Applicants must have a first class or upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in Food Science and Technology, Food Engineering, Food Technology, Bioprocess Engineering, Biosystem Engineering, Biomass Valorisation, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong interest in advanced extraction technologies (like ultrasound and hydrodynamic cavitation), and analytical chemistry particularly in the use of ultrafiltration, HPLC and LC-MS
• Demonstrated laboratory skills, including experience with biomass dealing, sample preparation, biochemical or biological analysis.
• Experience of academic writing and literature synthesis
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Applicants must meet all UCC eligibility requirements for registration as a PhD.
• Applicants must have excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Candidates who are not fluent in English are requested to provide proof of English proficiency (in speaking and writing) as per UCC Postgraduate English Language Entry Requirements. For English test requirement, please strictly adhere with the university guidelines provided at the link above.

Desirable:

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent research experience) in a relevant field would be desirable.
• Previous hands-on experience with cavitation technologies, dealing with marine biomass and experimental designing using mathematical modelling would be desirable
• Familiarity with statistical software packages such as SPSS, R, Minitab or Stata.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

Funding

The PhD position is funded for four years (48 Months). It includes a tax-free stipend of €25,000 p.a. and tuition fees covered (EU Rate).

Start date

September 2025