phd - News - CAMS-UK2024-03-29T08:42:46Zhttps://cams-uk.co.uk/news/feed/tag/phdOut of the lab and into the field: Rapid on-site Raman testing for food securityhttps://cams-uk.co.uk/news/out-of-the-lab-and-into-the-field-rapid-on-site-raman-testing-for2022-04-05T13:55:37.000Z2022-04-05T13:55:37.000ZSecretariathttps://cams-uk.co.uk/members/Secretariat<div><p><strong>Out of the lab and into the field: Rapid on-site Raman testing for food security</strong><br />There is a fully funded PhD position available for a UK student with Roy Goodacre in the Centre for Metabolomics Research, University of Liverpool.</p>
<p><br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Project Description:</strong></span><br />Major food adulteration and contamination events occur with alarming regularity and are known to be <br />episodic, with the question being not IF but WHEN another large-scale food safety/integrity incident will <br />occur. The challenges of maintaining food security are recognized internationally, with the ever-increasing <br />scale and complexity of food supply networks leading to these networks becoming significantly more <br />vulnerable to fraud and contamination, thus increasing the potential for dysfunctionality.</p>
<p><br />As recently reviewed (Ellis et al. 2012) there are many analytical techniques that have been used for the <br />analysis of food for establishing authentication, adulteration, provenance as well as detecting food spoilage <br />and pathogens. However, most of these are laboratory-based measurements which mean transporting <br />the sample to the instrument. This major constraint needs to be addressed and it would be better if <br />samples can be analysed directly on site, so that appropriate action can be taken in a timely manner.</p>
<p><br />Raman and infrared spectroscopies are emerging as rapid on-site methods (so called “capable guardians”) <br />that allow “point-and-shoot” measurements (Ellis et al. 2015). This PhD project is to explore the application <br />of these methods for assessing the safety, provenance and integrity of feeds/foods/food ingredients.</p>
<p><br />In our research group we develop Raman and infrared for food security and applications and results can <br />be seen on our website (<a href="http://biospec.net/publications/">http://biospec.net/publications/</a>) and recent examples include: portable through <br />bottle authentication of olive oil; the detection of the adulteration of coconut water; the detection of fake <br />spirit drinks and quantification of methanol added to spirits; and the detection and enumeration of food <br />pathogens on food, amongst other studies.</p>
<p><br />Rather than prescribe which areas to focus on, this PhD will be proactive and horizon scan for current and <br />up and coming areas that are threating the integrity of our food supply chains.</p>
<p><br /><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">PhD Project Outputs:</span></strong><br />• Horizon scanning of new food security threats.<br />• The assessment of a wide variety of Raman and infrared approaches that are either already <br />portable or portablisable.<br />• The incorporation of multivariate data analysis and ‘machine learning’ algorithms for unequivocal <br />detection and quantification of food fraud.<br />• The validation of this combined methodology.<br />• On-site testing of the delivered spectroscopy solutions.</p>
<p><br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Qualifications and Experience:</strong></span><br />Candidates are expected to hold (or be about to obtain) a minimum upper second class honours degree <br />(or equivalent) in Biochemistry, Chemistry or a related field. Candidates with a master’s degree in a related <br />area/subject, and experience in analytical sciences within biology are encouraged to apply.</p>
<p><br /><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">References:</span></strong><br />• Ellis, D.I., Brewster, V.L., Dunn, W.B., Allwood, J.W., Golovanov, A.P. & Goodacre, R. (2012) <br />Fingerprinting food: current technologies for the detection of food adulteration and contamination. <br />Chemical Society Reviews 41, 5706-5727. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C2CS35138B">https://doi.org/10.1039/C2CS35138B</a><br />• Ellis, D.I., Muhamadali, H., Haughey, S.A., Elliott, C.T. & Goodacre, R. (2015) Point-and-shoot: rapid <br />quantitative detection methods for on-site food fraud analysis – moving out of the laboratory and into <br />the food supply chain. Analytical Methods 7, 9401-9414. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C5AY02048D">https://doi.org/10.1039/C5AY02048D</a><br />• Many others here: <a href="http://biospec.net/publications/">http://biospec.net/publications/</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/studentships/raman-testing-food-security/">https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/studentships/raman-testing-food-security/</a></p>
<p><br /><strong>For application enquires please contact Roy Goodacre (roy.goodacre@liverpool.ac.uk).</strong><br /><strong>To apply please send CV and a cover letter.</strong><br /><strong>The closing date is 1 May 2022</strong></p></div>ACTF announce support for analytical science PhD students disrupted by COVID-19https://cams-uk.co.uk/news/actf-announce-support-for-analytical-science-phd-students-disrupt2021-05-05T11:13:25.000Z2021-05-05T11:13:25.000ZSecretariathttps://cams-uk.co.uk/members/Secretariat<div><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8895044464,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8895044464,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8895044464?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://forms.gle/UmW47zxTFNjtptWS9">https://forms.gle/UmW47zxTFNjtptWS9</a></p></div>