1. A master degree in Engineering, Biosciences or Chemistry
2. Excellent skills in planning and performing laboratory work
3. Independence, perseverance and positive attitude towardschallenges and opportunities
4. Curiosity and openness to discover new breakthroughs
5. Interest to collaborate with top level international researchers and to advance new sustainable technologies for biomaterials
6. English language skills in reading, listening, writing andspeaking
7. Polysaccharide microgels are versatile materials with unique properties that make them suitable for a wide range of applications, including texturizing foods and encapsulating active ingredients. In this project:
You will design polysaccharide-based microgel particles with various chemical and physicochemical functionalities and controlled characteristics (size, rheology, properties).
You will investigate the mechanisms behind irreversible changes during drying and rewetting of your microgels.
You will study structural changes from intermolecular rearrangement to particle shrinkage.
You will link microstructural changes to dispersion rheology and encapsulation properties.
You will gain access to cutting-edge technology in biopolymer fabrication and functionalization.
You will collaborate with world-class experts in biopolymer and biomaterial technology.
The Department of Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven aims to provide a balance between creative fundamental and applied research in selected topics of chemical engineering, while at the same time maintaining the necessary core competences in its faculty to ensure the education of chemical engineering master and PhD students. Given the prevalence and economical importance of the chemical process industry in Belgium, and especially in the Antwerp harbour, the societal role of the department in the education and training of chemical engineers (MSc Eng and PhD) is very important. At the same time, chemical engineering research is being performed which aims to be pushing the boundaries of our discipline. The department has decided to focus on high quality research in a selected number of areas, with at each time sufficient critical mass being gathered around relevant topics. The department has three divisions in Leuven: Process Engineering for Sustainable Systems Section (Process), Soft Matter, Rheology and Technology Section (SMaRT) and Chemical and Biochemical Reactor Engineering and Safety (CREaS). This project will be mainly conducted at CREaS division. To accomplish its mission of exploiting and enhancing (bio)chemical reactor processes and process safety, CREaS integrates expertise, methodologies and techniques from different (bio)chemical reactor and process engineering domains, going from macro- and microscopic analysis of (bio)chemical processes, via modelling and design, to process optimization. The research of Prof. Fardim at CREaS division, laboratory of Topochemical Engineering and Biointerfaces (TEOS) focuses on fractionation and purification of biopolymers from plant biomass or biotechnologically produced materials. The purified polymers are then post-functionalized with chemical or biochemical reactions to create high performance polymers for diverse applications in health and care. Shaping of biopolymers into highly engineered 2D and 3D architectures is performed using different processing techniques. Topochemical engineering is used as concept to design fractionation (disassembly) and fabrication (assembly) of 2D and 3D bioshapes. Hybridization of biopolymers with synthetic polymers and inorganics is performed and dynamic, stimuli-responsive biopolymer-hybrids are created. The research is conducted based on engineering design of the whole value chain, from production to bioproduct fabrication and in close interdisciplinary collaboration with biomedical, food and pharmaceutical sciences and industry.
8. Doctoral degree after 3 to 4 years of independent researchand attending courses
9. Top 50 University in the world, Top 10 in Europe
10. Excellent research facilities
11. Excellent opportunities of collaboration with world-classtop scientists
12. Doctoral degree in collaboration with a international universities, research institutes and companies
13. Excellent job opportunities after completion of PhD