MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship on the Development of an onsite screening strategy for the authent[...]

Organisation / Company: Università degli Studi di Verona

Department: Department of Biotechnology

Laboratory: Food Analysis Lab

Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Prof. Marco Ciulu, Head of the Food Analysis Lab of the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona (Italy) invites scholars to present expressions of interest in applying jointly for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF-2025 call) on the Development of an onsite screening strategy for the authentication and traceability of honeys in the European market (DISCERNER project).

The honey market is currently facing a major crisis due to the strong presence in commercial circuits of products that do not comply with European directives. A recent investigation sponsored by the European Commission revealed that more than half of the operators had exported honey consignments suspicious of being adulterated with exogenous sugars. The practice of adulteration negatively impacts the beekeeping sector, as the efforts of beekeepers to provide the consumer with genuine honeys are countered by the presence in the market of adulterated honeys, sometimes completely counterfeit, sold at derisory prices against which beekeeping companies cannot compete.

The project will mainly concern the creation of models based on the onsite acquisition of spectroscopic fingerprints for the authentication and traceability of honeys belonging to the European market and will make use of tools pertaining to data science, chemometrics and artificial intelligence. The research activity will be framed in an international context and will involve collaboration with researchers and producers from across Europe. Candidates with a background in bioinformatics or data science who would like to further develop their knowledge in the area of food fraud suppression are strongly encouraged to apply.

Hosting research group / Supervisor

We are looking for applicants for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship to be presented with the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Verona (Italy) as Host Institution.

Prof. Marco Ciulu obtained his PhD in Chemical Sciences at the University of Sassari, Italy, and gained international experience in the area of food chemistry and analytical science working as a researcher in various countries such as Spain, France and Germany. During his scientific career, he has participated in numerous research projects related to improving the sustainability of food production, supervising several students and early-stage researchers of various nationalities.

The Food Analysis Lab of the Dept. of Biotechnology of the University of Verona carries out research activities mainly aimed at the development of innovative analytical strategies for the identification and suppression of food frauds, the identification of novel quality parameters for food products and the recovery of compounds of nutraceutical interest from food waste.

Selected candidates will be offered both academic and administrative support from the Department and the University of Verona Grant Office with regard to the proposal preparation.

Minimum Requirements:

• To have a PhD at the call deadline (10th September 2025)
• To have up to 8 years research experience after PhD
• To be citizens of an EU State or of an Associated Country or long-term resident in Europe (only for Global Fellowship)
• Not to have resided or carried their main activity in Italy for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (10th September 2025) – for European Fellowship
• Not to have resided or carried their main activity in the country of the Host Institution in the third country for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (10th September 2025) – for a Global Fellowship.

Besides, candidates should be fluent in English, should have excellent teamwork attitude, organizational skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

Application:

Candidates should send to the address marco.ciulu@univr.it the following documents by June 30th 2025:

• A short CV including personal data (name, date of birth, present position etc.)
• Name and email address of one or two references