Food Tech/Nutrition/Biology PhD Students (2 positions) in OPUS 23 project: „Effect of intestinal microbiota modulation induced by the chicory inulin-type β-fructans on metabolic parameters and biomarkers of the gut-skin axis in chronic skin inflammation”

IF YOU ARE GRADUATING THIS YEAR, THIS OFFER IS FOR YOU!

Recruitment call for the OPUS 23 project entitled „Effect of intestinal microbiota modulation induced by the chicory inulin-type β-fructans on metabolic parameters and biomarkers of the gut-skin axis in chronic skin inflammation” led by dr hab. Urszula Krupa-Kozak at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, Poland.

Project description:

This interdisciplinary project was designed for 4 year duration. During this period an 8-week nutritional intervention using a prebiotic vs. placebo will be conducted to analyze the supplement influence on the spectrum of parameters starting from the characteristic of intestinal microbiota, through metabolic parameters (oxidative stress parameters, VOCs) till the gut barrier functionality and inflammatory mediators. This study is a placebo-controlled RCT on patients with mild psoriasis as a model of chronic skin inflammation.

PhD student 1 will be involved in tasks related to the analysis of intestinal microbiota profile using 16S rRNA and advanced statistical methods, and analysis of metabolites related to microbiota activity (SCFA) using HPLC. In addition, PhD student will be involved in all other research tasks,  starting from the biological material collection (blood, urine, feces, skin), data collection, interpretation, and statistical analysis, and manuscript writing.

PhD student 2 will be involved in tasks related to the determination of the whole gut barrier permeability assessment including the functional assay (multi-sugars absorption test) and the concentration of biomarkers of intestinal barrier functionality, in addition, will be involved in all other research tasks, starting from the biological material collection (blood, urine, feces, skin), data collection, interpretation and statistical analysis, manuscripts preparation.

Application deadline:

  • June 30th, 2023 (23:59:59 Warsaw)

How to apply:

  • Send your documentation (listed in eligibility criteria section) to: u.krupa-kozak@pan.olsztyn.pl within the deadline (sooner the better).
  • Please include „PhD application” in message titile.

Position opening date:

  • Position will be open since October 1, 2023.

Requirements for the candidates:

  • Higher (second degree) education in the field of biological sciences (biotechnology, biology) or related;
  • Knowledge of biochemistry, microbiology, gut characteristics, physiology, and human nutrition;
  • Knowledge of modern analytical techniques (chromatographic methods; ELISA, mass spectrometry);
  • Good knowledge of English in speech and writing;
  • Practical experience in laboratory work and basic molecular biology techniques;
  • Good knowledge of the bioinformatic tools;
  • Ability to write scientific and/or popular science papers and present results;
  • Availability, motivation for scientific work, good organization of work;
  • Previous participation in the research projects and scientific manuscript writing will be an additional advantage;
  • Highly appreciated scientific enthusiasm!

IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR MASTER DIPLOMA YET, BUT YOU ARE SET FOR GRADUATION IN 2023, PLEASE DO APPLY

Conditions of employment:

  • Maximum duration of the scholarship: 48 months;
  • The amount of the doctoral scholarship: PLN 5000 gross per month;
  • The selected candidates must become a participant in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Agricultural Sciences co-run by IRZBŻ PAS in Olsztyn;
  • PhD will be realized in the IAR&FR, PAS in cooperation with the Dermatology Clinic of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and the Faculty of Human Nutrition of Warsaw University of Life Sciences;
  • We offer full support in assimilation process (help in settlement and living in Poland).

Eligibility criteria:

  1. Complete application documentation:
  • CV containing:
    • education path,
    • details of the Master’s thesis (title, supervision, date of obtaining/date of defense planned),
    • scientific achievements, including scientific publications (if any), trainings, conferences, chapters, articles etc.,
    • competences to perform tasks planned in the project (mainly laboratory skills).
  • Cover letter,
  • Recommendation letter (preferably by Master’s thesis supervisor / mentor / project manager);
  1. Master’s degree (or planned graduation for 2023);
  2. Applying before the deadline;
  3. Consent to the processing of personal data.

In your CV or e-mail message, please include a clause of consent to the processing of personal data by us in the recruitment process:

„I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in the application documents by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn with its registered office at 10-748 Olsztyn ul. Tuwima 10, in order to carry out the recruitment process (in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC).

Selection process:

  1. Selected candidates will be invited to an on-line interview, to present themselves; candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation regarding their Master thesis and practical methods they were using along the process.
  2. Candidates evaluated with the highest score will be invited to the 2nd stage interview, which will take place face-to-face or online.
  3. During the interview, the candidate will be asked to deliver a 10-minute speech, presenting his/her own idea about the implementation of the project for which he/she is applying (based od the project concept).
  4. The 2nd stage interview will be considered as the recruitment interview to the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn (admission to the doctoral school is a prerequisite for receiving a scholarship).
  5. Admissions to the doctoral school and the project will be announced on the doctoral school website.

Note: Candidates are entitled to a right of complaint within 14 days from the final results announcement. Complaints (with justification) should be addressed to the Institute’s HR Manager (j.papurzynska@pan.olsztyn.pl). HR Manager is obliged to respond the complaint within 14 working days. 

Data processing information

  1. The administrator of personal data processed as part of the recruitment process is the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, 10-748 Olsztyn, ul. Tuwima 10, phone no. 89 523 46 86, e-mail: instytut@pan.olsztyn.pl.
  2. Contact with the personal data protection officer is possible at the above-mentioned address.
  3. The provided personal data will be processed in order to carry out the current recruitment process and kept until its completion on the basis of expressed consent (in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) of the GDPR).
  4. You have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing which was carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.
  5. You have the right to access your personal data, request their rectification or removal. Submitting a request to delete data is tantamount to resignation from participation in the recruitment process. In addition, you have the right to request the restriction of processing in the cases specified in art. 18 GDPR.
  6. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office against the unlawful processing of his personal data. This authority will be competent to consider the complaint, provided that the right to file a complaint concerns only the lawfulness of the processing of personal data, and not the recruitment process.
  7. Your data will not be profiled or made available to entities or third countries. The recipients of the data may be institutions authorized by law.
  8. Providing your personal data is not obligatory, but it is a necessary condition to participate in the recruitment process.
Data publikacji: 21.04.2023