Internship contract – 6 months | Fulltime/40h | From 01.09.2024 on | Hautcharage II

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

https://www.list.lu/

You‘d like to contribute as an intern? Join our Environmental Research and Innovation department

The Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) department, made up of 200 life science, environmental science and information technology researchers and engineers, provides the interdisciplinary knowledge, expertise and technologies to lead solutions including the major environmental challenges facing society, such as climate change mitigation, ecosystem resilience, sustainable energy systems, efficient use of renewable resources, and environmental pollution prevention and control.

The department relies on two cutting-edge platforms, the Biotechnologies and Environmental Analytics Platform and the Observatory for the Climate and the Environment, and the GreenTech Innovation Centre (GTIC): a one-stop-shop for the complete development of bio-based products and processes.

How will you contribute?

Probiotics are living microorganisms that provide numerous health benefits to the human host when administered in sufficient quantities. Due to their sensitivity to common processing conditions, such as heat treatment, low pH, high osmotic pressure, and redox potential, designing effective physicochemical barriers to prevent their sublethal damage is essential. Cryostructuration is an effective technique employed for the encapsulation of living probiotic cells into bespoke macroporous structured matrices. The meticulous design of the wall material composition—incorporating polysaccharides, proteins, oligosaccharides, sugars, and other components—is crucial for minimizing the loss of biological activity in cryostructurated formulations. This approach ensures that probiotics maintain their viability and efficacy throughout processing and storage, ultimately enhancing their health benefits when consumed.

Objectives/aim

The main objective is to understand the role of microalgal protein isolates (Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis) in preserving the biological activity of different strains of probiotic cells (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) encapsulated in cryostructurate matrices.

Activities

The master student is foreseen to work on the design and development of cryostructurates enriched with microalgal protein isolates for embedding different types of probiotic bacteria (e.g., L. rhamnosus GG, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, B. bifidum, B. breve and B. longum). The probiotic cryostructurates will be characterised in terms of their microstructure and physical state as influenced by the storage conditions. Standard microbiology methods will be deployed for monitoring the changes in the total viable counts of the probiotic bacteria strains during storage.

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education

Master. Food Sciences, Food Engineering, Food Microbiology, Food Bioprocessing, or Chemical Engineering

Experience and skills

Very good understanding of product design and development principles. Hands-on experience with food colloids characterisation (e.g. shelf-life testing, structural and mechanical characterisation etc.) and standard microbiological methodologies. Notions in in-vitro digestion models, probiotics and food biopolymers are considered as an asset. Having a strong interest for experimental research work. Ability to work both individually and as a research team member.

Language skills

English (C1-level) mandatory

French and German as an asset

Your LIST benefits

An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects;

Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society;

Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations such as our Viswall, high-scale incubators and top of the range 3D/4D printings that are part of our toolkit for excelling in all we do;

Multicultural and international work environment with more than 45 nationalities represented in our workforce; 

Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions;

Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science;

32 days’ paid annual leave for a full time internship, 11 public holidays per annum, flexible working hours,

An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas.

Apply online

Your application must include a motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

Application procedure and conditions:

LIST is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to hiring and retaining diverse personnel. We value all applicants and will consider all competent candidates for employment without regard to national origin, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age or disability;

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled;

An assessment committee will review the applications and select candidates based on guidelines that aim to ensure equal opportunities; 

The main criteria for selection will be the correspondence of the existing skills and expertise of the applicant with the requirements mentioned above.