The post-doc from the present proposal will take part of project “COBRA: A novel COmpound discovery pipeline for rapid and cost-effective identification of bioactives with health beneficial effects in BRAzilian crops”, (FAPESP-Denmark).
The vacancy is open to Brazilians and foreigners who will join the team of investigators of Laboratory of Bioflavours and Bioactive Compounds at the Faculty of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 80, Cidade Universitária, 13083-862, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil). Candidates must have obtained their PhD degree within the last 7 (seven) years, in Brazil or abroad, and expertise on bioactive compounds natural product chemistry and enzymatic activity, focusing on oligosaccharides, identification and detection of prebiotic activity assay, fruit and vegetable polyphenols. Fluency in English and ability to work within interdisciplinary teams are also mandatory.
The bioactive compounds from crops will be investigated using state-of-the-art analytical techniques such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry, High Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography coupled with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD), and Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry.For the oligosaccharides and major phenolic compounds, HPLC will be used, and for lipids, GC-MS will be used.When possible, profiles of the compounds will be obtained directly from the crops via easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry work in positive ion mode (EASI(+)-MS).
Extracts from tropical fruits will also be evaluated for their functional in vivo properties through animals and human tests after pre-selection of in vitro assays.
Antioxidant tests, including Lipophilic and Hydrophilic oxygen-radical-absorbance-capacity (ORAC), fluorescence-recovery-after-photobleaching (FRAP) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic-acid) assay (ABTS), and 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydracyl (DPPH), will be used to determine the antioxidant effects. Total phenols and total flavonoids will also be quantified.
Applications can be submitted only by e-mail to Professor Glaucia Maria Pastore (
[email protected]). Those interested should send resume (short CV FAPESP Instructions -
http://www.fapesp.br/en/6351).
