Context: In the last years, food safety authorities and researchers have paid great attention to chemical contaminants (e.g. pesticides, emerging contaminants, etc.) that may be present in food as a result of the various stages of its production, packaging, transport and storage or as a result of environmental contamination of air, soil and water. Hence, there is an urgent need for reliable and precise analytical methods enabling screening followed by confirmatory analysis for food evaluation. However, analysis of a complex matrix such as food is still challenging due to many interferents present, leading to erroneous results, making qualitative and quantitative analysis of target analytes difficult. In order to overcome these matrix effects, sample preparation is often required before further analysis of these contaminants. Such methods also need to be reliable, expeditious, 14 This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 956265. inexpensive, low solvent consumption, and environmentally friendly. In response, research in all branches of analytical science has been carried out; particularly, sample preparation techniques and strategies have been the subject of extensive investigation. Also, developing new materials has gained increasing research interest in sample preparation due to their desirable characteristics and advantages versus traditional and commercial sorbents. The task of this ESR will be to advance existing knowledge and methods for preparing “smart” polymer nanostructured materials (Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, MIP) and Super Adsorbent Polymers, SAP) with tailored properties and to combine their utility with the simplicity of sorptive extraction techniques for determining different groups of legacy and emerging contaminants in food and food wastes using advanced mass spectrometry techniques.
Objectives: To synthesis smart polymer nanostructured materials for selective removal of bioactive compounds and compounds of emerging concern.
Specific objectives are to:
- Provide a cost-effective extractive media based on MIP and SAP with enhanced thermal, chemical or mechanical stability.
- Determine target bioactive compounds and contaminants of emerging concern (pesticides, industrial chemicals etc.) in food and food wastes. -
- Apply MIP and SAP for selective isolation and extraction for the target, suspect and non-target analysis using GC and LC Mass Spectrometry techniques (Orbitrap LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS).
- Optimise experimental design using Multivariate Statistical Techniques (MST) based on a Design of Experiments (DoE) methodology.
- Compare novel materials with state-of-the-art commercially available sorbents and coatings in real-life applications connected to ESR7, ESR9 and ESR10.
Expected Results: A novel multi-functional “Smart” polymer nanostructured materials: MIP and SAP materials (D3.2); MSI methods for MIPs and SAPs characterisation (M9); Synthesis of MIPs and SAPs (M10); selective extraction and simultaneous determination of bioactive compounds and CEC in food and food wastes by using HRMS Planned secondments: S27: TA (K. Tsarhopoulos), 2 months, M8 and M22, training in advanced MS analysis; S28: CSIC (R.A.Pérez/ J.L Tadeo), 2 months, M10-11, knowledge and skills exchange for target, suspect and non-target analysis; S29: JSI (E. Heath), 4 months, M17-20, testing the smart MIP/SAP sorbents for quantitative analysis of CECs in collaboration with ESR7 and ESR10; S30: UA (A. Covaci) 2 months, M27-28, testing novel MIP sorbents for the quantitative analysis of one of the new chemicals identified by ESR9 at UA.
ESR Profile and requirements:
- Outstanding academic study performances according to ECST grading scale and recognised by the EU.
- Knowledge of environmental analytical chemistry, separation sciences, mass spectrometry, statistics, and bioinformatics.
- Interest in basic research, analytical chemistry, and human exposure to contaminants. Additional Qualifications:
- Publications in scientific journals on environmental analytical chemistry and polymer science.
- Presentations at scientific conferences on environmental analytical science and polymer science.
- Proven knowledge of environmental analytical chemistry and chromatography techniques coupled to mass spectrometry.
- Proven knowledge of polymer science.
- Proven knowledge of Information Technology.
- Programming knowledge in R or Matlab environment.
How to apply
Application Process:
All applications, in English, must be done using FoodTraNet application form. To access the application form click on this link:
https://www.foodtranet.org/apply.html
The application form requires basic contact information (name, surname, email) and ESR eligibility criteria (date of Master’s award, full-time postgraduate research experience in months, country of residence and duration of residence in that country). Applicants are invited to choose up to three PhD Positions in order of preference. Only the complete applications (completed application form, CV, Covering Letter and Academic Records) will be evaluated. FoodTraNet is committed to Open, transparent, Merit-based Recruitment procedures of Researchers (OTM-R). Please contact [Email Address Removed] if you have any problems submitting your application
Please carefully read the Call for Applicants guidance document for more information regarding Employment Conditions, ESR Benefits, and Eligibility Rules before you submit your application: https://www.foodtranet.org/images/call_for_applicants_guidance.pdf .
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