Nutrition quality regulation and assessment on Chinese selenium hyperaccumulating plant during planting and fermentation processing

Selenium (Se) is one of the important trace elements needed for maintaining human health, especially for anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immune effects. Till now, it is worldwide for Se deficiency in soils and populations, which accounted about 40% soils and one in seven people around the world, respectively. In China, 72% of the country’s total areas and affects over 70 million people potentially are facing adverse health impacts due to Se deficiency. Thus, it is urgent to develop Se-functional foods to improve daily Se intakes for whom had Se deficiency issues in China. Cardamine hupingshanensis as a unique Se hyperaccumulating plant in China, will not only accumulate Se but also other beneficial nutrients like Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, I, Mg, vitamins, and folate. The present project will evaluate the nutrient levels and quality during Se accumulation and then improve the nutrient bioavailability and bioaccessibility via fermentation processing to develop plant-based functional food.

For more information about doctoral scholarship and PhD programme at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University (XJTLU), please visit

https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/global/entry-requirements/

https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/global/fees-and-scholarship

Requirements:

The candidate should have a first class or upper second class honours degree, or a master’s degree (or equivalent qualification), in Plant Nutrition, Environmental Microbiology, Food Fermentation, Food Nutrition, Plant Molecular Biology. Evidence of good spoken and written English is essential. The candidate should have an IELTS score of 6.5 or above, if the first language is not English. This position is open to all qualified candidates irrespective of nationality.

Degree:

The student will be awarded a PhD degree from the University of Liverpool (UK) upon successful completion of the program.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants are advised to email [Email Address Removed] (XJTLU principal supervisor’s email address) the following documents for initial review and assessment (please put the project title in the subject line).

• CV
• Two formal reference letters
• Personal statement outlining your interest in the position
• Certificates of English language qualifications (IELTS or equivalent)
• Full academic transcripts in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• Verified certificates of education qualifications in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• PDF copy of Master Degree dissertation (or an equivalent writing sample) and examiners reports available