1 – Postdoctoral Scientist:
‘Raising the Pulse (RtP)’ is a £2.5M UKRI Transforming UK Food Systems project based on the concept that considerable health and environmental benefit would result if we could make it easier for the population to eat more UK grown pulses. The pulse best suited to the UK, the faba bean, is naturally high in protein, micronutrients and fibre, and has the lowest environmental impact of all crops. However, most of the population will not significantly increase their consumption unless they are successfully incorporated into familiar looking and tasting, economic and convenient staple foods, such as bread.
The scope of the RtP project is wide ranging, from sustainable production to nutritional enhancement, to processing and manufacturing innovation to evaluation of health benefits and consumer acceptance together with modelling of all the above. This post is for a full-time postdoctoral scientist with relevant training and experience in crop improvement, agronomy or field phenotyping for a period of 3 years from 1st October 2022.
The jobholder will select nutritionally enhanced faba bean genotypes using available genetic and biochemical data, conduct a series of field experiments aimed at co-optimisation of nutritional density and sustainability of production and will liaise closely with a PDRA focusing on preservation of a favourable nutritional and ecological footprint through dehulling and milling processes and with a systems modeller PDRA tasked with mathematically describing how various production variables impact land use and provision of ecosystem services on one hand and nutritional health benefits on the other. The post will sit within the Crop Genetic Improvement research group, led by Prof Donal O’Sullivan, which conducts internationally leading research in the genetic dissection of quantitative agronomic and quality traits underpinning sustainable crop production of Vicia faba (faba bean).
You will have:
- A PhD in a relevant subject area
- Proven ability to design, conduct and statistically analyse complex field experiments
- Analytical laboratory skills relevant to seed quality
- A team-oriented disposition
Informal contact details
Alternative informal contact details
Contact role: Professor of Crop Science
Contact role: Professor of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry
Contact name: Donal O’Sullivan
Contact name: Liz Shaw
Contact phone: 0118 3786729
Contact phone: 0118 3786971
Contact email: d.m.osullivan@reading.ac.uk
Contact email: e.j.shaw@reading.ac.uk
Interview Date: 18/07/2022
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants should ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement under the PBS.
The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and is a Diversity Champion for Stonewall, the leading LGBT+ rights organisation. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.
| Closes: | 8th July 2022 |
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2 – Postdoctoral Research Associate:
‘Raising the Pulse (RtP)’ is a £2.5M UKRI Transforming UK Food Systems project based on the concept that a higher consumption of UK grown pulses would result in considerable health and environmental benefit to the population. The pulse best suited to the UK, the faba bean, is naturally high in protein, micronutrients and fibre, and has the lowest environmental impact of all crops. However, most of the population will not significantly increase their consumption of this pulse unless it is successfully incorporated into familiar looking and tasting, affordable and convenient staple foods, such as bread.
The scope of the RtP project is wide ranging, from sustainable production to nutritional enhancement, to processing and manufacturing innovation to evaluation of health benefits and consumer acceptance together with modelling of all the above. This post is for a full-time postdoctoral scientist with relevant training and experience in chemical and microstructural analysis of plants/foods for a period of 3 years from 1st October 2022.
This position will be based at the University of Reading, within the internationally renowned School of Agriculture, Policy and Development and in collaboration with the Department of Food and Nutritional Science. The PDRA will carry out and coordinate research activities relating to faba bean grain characterisation and processing optimisation for incorporation into bread and other bakery products, and they will span plant microscopy, grain processing, food chemistry (including flavour chemistry), sensory science, food rheology and microstructure.
The main roles and responsibilities will include:
- Conducting morphological investigations (including microscopy) and milling trials of faba bean grain
- Design and implementation of chemical and physicochemical analysis of raw and processed fava beans, flour, dough, bread and crackers.
You will have:
- A PhD in Plant Science, Food Science or related biological science.
- Experience in some or all of the following: grain microstructure analysis, rheology, liquid/ gas chromatography
- Experience in statistical analysis and in handling of large datasets
Informal contact details
Alternative informal contact details
Contact role: Associate Professor in Crop Science
Contact role: Lecturer in Food Science and Technology
Contact name: Dr Paola Tosi
Contact name:: Dr Julia Rodriguez Garcia
Contact phone: +44 (0) 118 378 8119
Contact phone:+44 (0) 118 378 4734
Contact email: p.tosi@reading.ac.uk
Contact email: j.rodriguezgarcia@reading.ac.uk
Interview Date:26/07/2022
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants should ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement under the PBS.
The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and is a Diversity Champion for Stonewall, the leading LGBT+ rights organisation. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.
| Closes: | 12th July 2022 |
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3 – Post Doctoral Research Fellow:
This is a part time role in a research project funded by Cargill to investigate in situ starch-gluten interactions in the wheat grain. This will involve using a combination of microscopy and immunohistochemistry techniques to produce a detailed reconstruction of the starch-gluten interface in the wheat grain, which can then be used to model behaviour of these components during processing.
You will have:
- PhD in a relevant subject, such as plant science or food science
- experience of microscopy
- genuine interest for basic research
- comfortable working both independently and collaboratively as part of a team of academics based in different research units within and outside the University of Reading.
Informal contact details
Contact role: Associate professor
Contact name: Paola Tosi
Contact phone:0118 378 8119
Contact email: p.tosi@reading.ac.uk
Interview Date: 20/07/2022
Please note that recent changes in Google Chrome (version 101) and Microsoft Edge (version 101) mean that some users are currently unable to view downloaded PDF documents in those browsers. You can view the downloaded file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If this remains a problem for you, then please contact hr@reading.ac.uk to request a copy of the Job Description & Person Specification.
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants should ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement under the PBS.
The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and is a Diversity Champion for Stonewall, the leading LGBT+ rights organisation. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.
| Closes: | 20th July 2022 |
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4 – Postdoctoral Research Associate in Food & Agricultural System Modelling
‘Raising the Pulse (RtP)’ is a £2.5M UKRI Transforming the UK Food System project based on the concept that considerable health and environmental benefit would result if we could make it easier for the population to eat more UK grown pulses. The pulse best suited to the UK, the faba bean, is naturally high in protein, micronutrients and fibre, and has the lowest environmental impact of all crops. However, most of the population will not significantly increase their consumption unless these beans are successfully incorporated into familiar looking and tasting, economic and convenient staple foods, such as bread.
Harnessing extensive data from across the project, you will use a range of data analysis and modelling approaches to understand the impact of increased incorporation of pulses into UK diets and the means to achieve this. Whilst some quantitative and programming experience is expected (e.g. in R, MATLAB, Python or equivalent), training will be provided in methods new to you, providing an opportunity to expand your skills in data science and analysis. Methods will include using an agricultural land use model, Life-Cycle Assessment of the pulse-enhanced bread, and meta-analyses of health impacts of pulse consumption and variability in pulse productivity. You will use the outputs of these analyses to develop a Bayesian Network systems model which maps causes and linkages between environmental, economic, nutrition and health outcomes of the transformed food system.
You will benefit from mentoring from experts in the different modelling approaches based in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading.
Main duties and responsibilities
- To assess the land use, economic and environmental implications of increased pulse production in the UK using the LUAM land use model
- To conduct a consequential life cycle assessment of pulse production and processing, including co-ordinating and carrying out expert consultations
- To conduct meta-analyses on pertinent topics such as the effect of climate on pulse quality and the link between pulse nutrition and health
- To develop a model of the combined impacts of increased faba-bean use on environment, economics and health using a system modelling framework such as a Bayesian Network.
- To liaise with the wider ‘Raising the Pulse’ project team on joint objectives
- To prepare manuscripts based on key findings for publication
- To communicate the aims and findings of the research to a wider audience
Informal contact details
Alternative informal contact details
Contact role: Lecturer in Agricultural Modelling
Contact role: Senior Research Fellow
Contact name: Dr Lindsay Todman
Contact name: Philip Jones
Contact phone: +44 (0)118 378 6380
Contact email: l.todman@reading.ac.uk
Contact email: p.j.jones@reading.ac.uk
Interview Date: 22/07/2022
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants should ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement under the PBS.
| Closes: | 8th July 2022 |
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