Post-doctoral researcher (m/f/d) in ‘‘Seaweed polymer/biomolecule chemistry and valorisation‘‘

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is a foundation of public law jointly financed by the Federal Republic of Germany (90 %) and the state of Schleswig-Holstein (10 %) and is one of the internationally leading institutions in the field of marine sciences. Through our research and our commitment to the transfer of knowledge and technology, we contribute significantly to the preservation of the function and protection of the ocean for future generations. In the frame of the Helmholtz Innovation Pool project INNOVA, GEOMAR Research Unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry / GEOMAR Centre for Marine Biotechnology seeks a

Post-doctoral researcher (m/f/d) in ‘‘Seaweed polymer/biomolecule chemistry and valorisation‘‘

The position is available for 3 years starting on the 1st January 2025.

Project Description:

Seaweeds do not only provide invaluable ecological services in coastal marine ecosystems, contributing to large scale carbon storage and mitigating climate change, they can also substitute many fossil-fuel based products. Hence seaweed mariculture offers sustainable solutions for global problems and supports circular blue bioeconomy. Green macroalgae are prolific sources of high-value biomolecules with uses in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. The INNOVA project will use innovative approaches for upscaled cultivation of green macroalgae in open waters, valorise the algal biomass and its chemical constituents for applications, and study climate and socio-economic benefits of seaweed aquafarming.

Job Description/Duties:

The successful candidate will be will be part of the interdisciplinary Helmholtz Innovation Pool project INNOVA. He:She will be based at GEOMAR Research Unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry / GEOMAR Centre for Marine Biotechnology, but will collaborate closely with other project partners at Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). The candidate will investigate seaweed biomass produced in two locations (North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean). He:She will select, establish and employ different methods to extract and characterise both i) high value polymers (proteins, and polysaccharides including e.g., ulvan, cellulose) and ii) small-molecule constituents (omega- 3 fatty acids, phenolics, secondary metabolites) using a biorefinery approach. The large algal polymers will be analysed and characterized by various specific methodologies. The small molecule metabolome of the bioactive extracts will be mined by high throughput LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics. It is also envisaged to identify potential new, bioactive compounds by chromatographic purifications. The candidate will use in-house assays to test the extracts for their bioactivities relevant for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical/food, agri-/aquaculture and cosmetic applications. The post holder will communicate routinely with other members of the INNOVA Consortium and exchange data and samples. He:She will actively manage the project and carry out administrative tasks (including organizing meetings, giving presentations at project meetings, writing reports). The tasks of the candidate will also comprise the data management of the project, presentation of the results at conferences and the publication of the results in established peer-reviewed journals.

Qualification:

Essential:

• A diploma and a PhD in natural (seaweed) polymer chemistry, marine/seaweed natural product chemistry, or a relevant field
• Experience in (sequential) extraction of large marine polymers (proteins, cellulose, polysaccharides and others)
• Solid experience in purification of (algal) polymers/biomolecules/natural products (by e.g., chromatography and other techniques)
• Chemical characterization of large marine polymers by various techniques
• Experience in LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics/dereplication
• Experience in writing first author-publications, high publication track record in scientific journals and conference presentations
• Excellent communication skills in English (both spoken and written).

Desirable:

• Previous exposure to pressurized extraction techniques (ASE, SFE or others)
• Purification and structure elucidation of small molecule natural products
• Previous experience in performing in vitro bioassays
• Previous project management experience
• A full car driving license

What we offer:

GEOMAR is located directly on the Kiel Fjord with many leisure and recreational opportunities, offering you:

• An exciting and international work environment with the opportunity to provide important impetus for the development of sustainable solutions
• Work in the field of marine and climate research, a forward-looking area with social significance
• Attention to questions of work-life balance, including the possibility of mobile working and individual working time arrangements
• Vacation camps for the children of employees
• Support in finding a place in a day-care centre at the Kiel site
• Support services for professional and personal life situations
• 30 vacation days + additional time off at Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
• Company pension plan and capital-forming benefits

The research unit Marine Natural Products Chemistry offers a dynamic, international and innovative research environment with excellent infrastructure and networks, a collaborative work culture, thus is an ideal incubator for a successful career. Our labs are equipped with state-of-the-art chemical facilities including in-house UPLC-QTOF-MS coupled with DESI Imaging Mass Spectrometry, HPLC-DAD-MS, HPLC-HRMS, GC-MS, automated extraction systems such as Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), HPLC, FPLC, FT-IR, polarimeter and related databases, as well as excellent microbiology/biotechnology facilities and over 75 running in vitro biological assays. Our inhouse microbial culturing facilities span from small (1 L) to large-scale (300 L fermenter), as well as access to sequencing facilities. GEOMAR has full access to high-resolution (cryo-) NMR facilities at Kiel University. We lead or participate multiple collaborative EU or national research projects.

Working language in the group is English.

The position is available for a funding period of three years. The salary depends on qualification and could be up to the class 13 TVöD-Bund of the German tariff for public employees. This is a full-time position and the position can be basically split. The fixed-term contract shall comply with Section 2 Paragraph 1 of The Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contract (German WissZeitVG).

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel seeks to increase the proportion of female scientists and explicitly encourages qualified female academics to apply. GEOMAR is an equal opportunity employer and encourages scientists with disabilities to apply. Qualified disabled applicants will receive preference in the application process.

Please submit your application in English no later than 1st September 2024 online via webpage (https://bewerbung.geomar.de/P000134991/en).

As soon as the selection procedure has finished, all application papers will be removed according to data protection regulation. For further information regarding the position and research unit, please contact Prof. Dr. Deniz Tasdemir by e-mail ([email protected]). Further questions will be answered by e-mail to [email protected]. In doing so, please refer to the keyword “INNOVA-PD”. For further information on GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel or the Helmholtz Association, please visit www.geomar.de or www.helmholtz.de.

GEOMAR is committed to an objective and non-discriminatory personnel selection. Our job advertisements address all people. We expressly renounce the submission of application photos.