SpoilControl - Doctoral Candidate (DC5) – "Pathogenic Flora – Diversity & Prevalence of Pathogenic Microorganisms in Non-Alcoholic Fermented Beverages"

29 Apr 2025

Job Information

Organisation/Company: Polytechnic University of Catalonia - Barcelona Tech
Department: Barcelona Supercomputing Centre
Research Field: All
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Country: Spain
Application Deadline: 30 Jun 2025 - 00:00 (Europe/Paris)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Horizon Europe - MSCA
Reference Number: 101168618
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No

The Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS) is proposing applications for a PhD position within the SpoilControl project, funded by the Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program.
SpoilControl aims to train the next generation of polyvalent researchers in the field of sustainable fermentation technologies, addressing microbial spoilage to improve the quality and safety of fermented beverages.

Main responsabilities:

Establish a genomic database for bacteria and fungi with pathogenic potential in humans;
Develop a computational pipeline for the efficient detection and quantification of pathogenic microorganisms from next-generation sequencing data;
Investigate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in samples collected during the project and publicly available datasets using next-generation sequencing;
Understand the origins of microbial contamination in fermented beverages;
Formulate hypotheses on microbial dispersal mechanisms and adaptation to relevant niches;
Propose innovative strategies to prevent or eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in the fermentation industry;
Collect and analyze samples from various fermented food industries using metagenomics;
Assess the prevalence of rare pathogenic yeasts in industrial and natural environments using publicly available metagenomic datasets

Planned secondments:

3 to 6 months at the Molecular Genetics, Genomics and Microbiology Lab-GMGM (University of Strasbourg - FR) to develop innovative bioinformatics methods for detecting low-signal data;
Short stay (10 days) to transfer the pipeline to food analysis lab at ADERA-MICROFLORA (private and independent structure hosted by the University of Bordeaux (FR) for its activity dedicated to microbiological analyses

Website: https://spoilcontrol.hub.inrae.fr/phd-projects/dc5-pathogenic-flora

Skills/Qualifications

Related fields:

Specific Requirements

Applicants can be of any nationality as long as they satisfy the MSCA mobility rule: “No residence or main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months before their recruitment date. Country of main activity = not only where the fellow was physically based but also the country of the institution for which the main activity was performed”.

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent (e.g., engineering degree) or be in the process of obtaining it by the start of the PhD project.

Benefits

Doctoral contract for 36 months
Salary in accordance with MSCA funding and Spanish regulation
Tuition fees and visa-related fees are covered by the consortium
Access to University of Barcelona infrastructure and resources
Supervision by experienced researchers
Opportunities for mobility and international collaborations within the SpoilControl consortium.
Language courses from the hosting country
Training opportunities in food and fermentation technology careers

Eligibility criteria

Applicants can be of any nationality as long as they satisfy the MSCA mobility rule: “No residence or main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months before their recruitment date. Country of main activity = not only where the fellow was physically based but also the country of the institution for which the main activity was performed”.

Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent (e.g., engineering degree) or be in the process of obtaining it by the start of the PhD project.

Selection process

SpoilControl will guarantee a genuinely independent, transparent, and professional evaluation of exceptional quality.

The selection process will include the following steps:

Eligibility Check: The Project Manager (PM) will carry out an initial eligibility check for all applicants.
Application Review: Future academic supervisors, in accordance with the MSCA Green Charter, will review applications based on key evaluation
criteria.
/!\ The 4-5 highest-ranked proposals for the PhD project will be shortlisted for the next stage.
Interviews: Remote interviews will be conducted by the recruiting beneficiary and future supervisors, including non-academic members. These
interviews will adhere to the MSCA Green Charter and the HR policies of the relevant institute.
Ranking List: After the interviews, a ranking list will be generated for each DC project. The list will be sent to the Selection Board (SB) along with the
applications and evaluation marks.
Selection: The Supervisory Board (SB) will review the ranking list and endorse the final selection. They will establish the final shortlist and reserve
list, which will consist of 15 applications for both categories (top selection and reserve).
Notification of Results: The PM (Project Manager) or main supervisors will notify applicants of the final results by e-mail

Website for additional job details: https://spoilcontrol.hub.inrae.fr/phd-projects/dc5-pathogenic-flora

Apply now