Organisation/Company Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena
Research Field Agricultural sciences » Agricultural products
Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions
Application Deadline 30 Apr 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)
Country Spain
Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA
Reference Number HORIZON-MSCA-2023-COFUND-01-01 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101179088
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Keep in mind that supervisors are not allowed to get involved in the project proposal preparation.
Context: Food losses and waste in fruits and vegetables generate significant volumes of by-products throughout the agri‑food sector. Although these materials are often discarded, they represent complex matrices rich in bioactive compounds with potential relevance for food quality and safety. At the same time, growing concerns regarding sustainability and circularity in food systems have increased interest in research focused on the valorisation of such by‑products.
In parallel, consumer demand for clean‑label and functional foods, together with increasing restrictions on synthetic additives, has stimulated research on naturally derived antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds from agri‑food residues. Green and eco‑friendly technological approaches have therefore emerged as an active area of research for the recovery and study of bioactive compounds, particularly in relation to food processing, formulation, and storage.
The problem to address: Despite increasing interest in the valorisation of horticultural by‑products as sources of bioactive compounds, significant scientific challenges remain in understanding how these materials and their derived compounds can be effectively considered within food systems. Key open questions relate to the variability of plant‑based by‑products, the preservation of functional integrity of bioactive compounds, and their behaviour under different processing and storage conditions relevant to food quality and food safety.
These knowledge gaps limit the ability to critically assess the potential roles of bioactive compounds from horticultural by‑products in food systems and highlight the need for further fundamental and exploratory research in this area.
Objectives
* To advance the understanding of green and sustainable approaches for the valorisation of horticultural by‑products as sources of bioactive compounds.
* To explore the diversity, properties, and characterization of bioactive compounds derived from horticultural by‑products, considering the variability of plant‑based matrices.
* To investigate how bioactive compounds from horticultural by‑products may behave within food systems, including aspects related to processing, storage, functional quality, and food safety.
Expected Outcomes
Research conducted under this line may contribute to advancing understanding of green and sustainable approaches for the valorisation of horticultural by‑products and the behaviour of bioactive compounds in food systems. Possible outcomes may include:
* Potential contributions to knowledge on green and sustainable approaches for the extraction and valorisation of bioactive compounds from horticultural by‑products.
* New insights into approaches for the purification, identification, and characterization of bioactive compounds derived from plant‑based by‑products.
* Enhanced understanding of interactions between bioactive compounds, food matrices, and microbial populations, as relevant to food systems.
* Exploratory research that may inform early‑stage concepts or approaches related to functional foods, depending on the scope of the proposed project.
* Potential contributions to understanding the stability and behaviour of bioactive compounds during food processing and storage.
Candidate Qualifications (if any)
Candidates may come from a broad range of disciplines relevant to horticultural by‑product valorisation and food systems, including food science, food technology, food chemistry, biotechnology, or other related scientific fields. Experience or familiarity with research areas such as bioactive compounds from plant‑based sources, green and sustainable technologies, food preservation, microbiology, or studies related to processing and storage may be considered an asset.
Who can apply?
Candidates must have a PhD degree and must have obtained their (first) PhD a maximum of 8 years before the deadline of each call according to the MSCA scheme. Candidates must also comply with the MSCA mobility rule, must have to identify a main supervisor and are expected to define their Individual Research Proposal (IRP).
In support of gender dimension and other diversity aspects, UPCT is committed to ensuring full transparency in the recruitment, evaluation and selection process, in which all candidates are evaluated equally on the basis of their achievements and are not discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or socio‑economic background. There is also a Code of Ethics which sets out the main moral aspirations to be respected and complied with by UPCT members; good practices to be carried out for the equal treatment of people regardless of their condition or circumstance; and a service for the support of candidates with some kind of disability (whether intellectual, physical, sensory, mental or other illnesses) during the application process and throughout the IRP.
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