ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF TWO RESEARCHS FELLOWSHIP - Reference: BI-1/CHITMOD-CBMA/2026

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ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF TWO RESEARCHS FELLOWSHIP - Reference: BI-1/CHITMOD-CBMA/2026 Sintesi in italiano (traduzione automatica): L'Universidade do Minho, attraverso il Centro di Biologia Molecolare e Ambientale (CBMA), ha aperto un bando per l'assegnazione di due borse di ricerca nel progetto 'Chitinase Modulation for Diverse Biological Applications'. Le posizioni sono destinate a candidati con laurea magistrale in Biochimica Applicata o campi affini, che siano iscritti o in grado di iscriversi a corsi di laurea non accademici. I candidati devono avere pubblicato almeno 5 articoli scientifici negli ultimi 5 anni e possedere competenze in manipolazione di lieviti e funghi filamentosi, produzione e purificazione di proteine, e analisi bioinformatiche. Le attività di ricerca si concentreranno sulla produzione di chitinasi fungine e sulla valorizzazione dei rifiuti, con l'obiettivo di consolidare la formazione scientifica dei partecipanti. Universidade do Minho Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA) ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AWARD OF TWO RESEARCHS FELLOWSHIP Title: Research Fellowship; 2 vacancies Reference: BI-1/CHITMOD-CBMA/2026 A call for applications is now open for the attribution of 2 (two) grants within the scope of the I&D project “Chitinase Modulation for Diverse Biological Applications” (COMPETE2030-FEDER-00708500), financed by national funds through R&D Projects in All Scientific Domains, by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the following conditions: Scientific Area : Biological Sciences Recipient category: Masters in Applied Biochemistry or related fields, enrolled or able to enroll in non-academic degree courses. Requirement for granting the fellowship: The applicants may apply without prior registration in the course for which the fellowship is open. The requirement to enroll in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be verified on the date of contracting the fellowship; Only fellowships whose selected applicants present a valid proof of enrollment in a degree course or non-academic degree course will be contracted, according to the type of the fellowship, issued by a Higher Education Institution, indicating, respectively, the academic year or its duration (start and term). Applicants’ eligibility: Candidates who meet the conditions set out in Article 9 of the Research Grant Regulations, No. 950/2019, of 16-12-2019, of FCT I.P. are eligible. Nationals or citizens of other European Union member states, third-country nationals, stateless persons, and citizens with political refugee status are eligible to apply for this competition. Candidate eligibility requirements: Mandatory requirements: Master’s degree in Applied Biochemistry or related fields. Authorship of at least 5 papers published in scientific journals within the last 5 years (2021–2026) Preferred qualifications: Proven experience in manipulating yeasts and filamentous fungi Experience in protein production, purification, concentration, and quantification Experience in antifungal activity assays. Experience in biological activity assays (antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory). Experience in bioinformatics analyses (genome assembly, annotation, phylogenetics, etc.). Proven experience in mentoring undergraduate and/or Master’s students Workplan and objectives to be achieved : The candidates will carry out R&D activities within the scope of the CHITMOD project, aiming to consolidate their scientific training. Abstract: CHITMOD aims to use AI to engineer a fungal chitinase (Cht3), producing novel chimeric variants for biocontrol and waste valorization. The project builds on previous work and incorporates international experts with complementary skills to ensure the successful achievement of project objectives. Specifically, candidates will carry out the following tasks, in accordance with the profiles identified below: Profile 1 – Activity Plan Production of a fungal chitinase (Cht3) expressed in Pichia pastoris , as well as its subsequent concentration and quantification. Evaluation of the antifungal activity of Cht3 (and other variants) against human, animal, and plant pathogenic fungi, using growth assays, metabolic activity assays, and biomass quantification. Profile 2 – Activity Plan • Production of chitooligosaccharides (COS) from chitin waste, including chitin recovery from shrimp shells and its enzymatic hydrolysis using various recombinant chitinases. • Physicochemical characterization of the COS obtained with the different chitinases, including the assessment of the degree of polymerization and other structural properties. • Evaluation of the biological properties of COS *in vitro*—specifically their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities—using microbiological, biochemical, and cellular assays. EACH CANDIDATE MAY APPLY FOR ONLY ONE OF THE PROFILES PRESENTED ABOVE, and will be excluded from the selection process if they a Annuncio in inglese. Fonte: Euraxess (Comm