Overview
Due to recent advances in cell culture engineering, cultivated meat is increasingly viewed as promising to revolutionise the food industry. A critical bottleneck is the optimisation of large-scale production while guarantying product quality and safety. This proposal will seek to identify potential safety issues associated with the cell and tissue culture conditions and develop tools to characterise the product during cost-effective scale-up strategies, emphasising monitoring product quality and safety.
In this proposal, we will combine the latest developments in tissue engineering (Prof Che Connon, Newcastle University), and the expertise of state of art analytical tools and food safety (Dr Romero, Fera Science Ltd). Novel scale-up and bioprocess intensification methodologies will also be explored (Dr Rios, UCL). UCL Biochemical Engineering would provide access to the latest perfusion bioreactors and microscale bioreactors among other systems. There is an opportunity to do a long internship (6 to 12 months) at UCL Biochemical Engineering, London UK.
The know-how generated here will be critical for Fera Science Ltd to be able to advise its clients about potential safety issues associated with cellular agriculture while developing tools to monitor key parameters and ensure the safety of the final product, a key requirement to obtain Novel Food authorisation.
Number Of Awards
1
Start Date
18th September 2023
Award Duration
3 years
Sponsor
Institute for AgriFood Research Innovations (IAFRI) & Newcastle University (NU)
Supervisors
Che Connon (NU), Rosario Romero (Fera) and Leonardo Rios Solis (UCL)
Eligibility Criteria
You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in biology, biochemistry, bioengineering or similar.
Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.
The studentship covers fees at the Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria). International applicants are welcome to apply but will be required to cover the difference between Home and International fees.
International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.
How To Apply
You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal
Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.
Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:
- Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8020F
- Research area: Biological Sciences
- Select ‘PhD Biology (Full Time) - Biological Sciences as the programme of study
You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:
- A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form
- The studentship code snes235b in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
- When prompted regarding your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.
Contact Details
For further information please contact: [Email Address Removed] and include ‘IAFRI PhD’ in the email subject line.
Continue with Facebook
