The Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Environment (SAFE) lab in the School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is recruiting 2 master students with a scholarship of ~ $25,000/year to work on isomerizing galactose from Greek yogurt acid whey to low-calorie tagatose.
What will you do and learn:
- Conduct a compositional analysis of Greek yogurt acid whey
- Develop catalytic hypotheses
- Use analytical instruments (e.g., SEM, TEM, FTIR, NMR, and HPLC) to characterize products
- Offering insights into catalytic mechanisms
- Separation and purification of products
- Determine the economic feasibility of implementing new catalytic methods
- Compare and contrast various pathways to ascertain the most cost-effective one
- Identify the critical factors that influence the ability to scale up production or expand facilities
- Measure the environmental impact of various scenarios
- Examine energy consumption and recognize elements for energy efficiency improvements
Candidates qualifications:
- Background in Food Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or related disciplines
- Proficiency in Math, Statistics, and Scientific Writing
- Have a strong interest in learning heterogeneous/homogenous catalysis
- Be a team player
- Can join AESS in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025.
Important dates and information:
- A GRE score is not required.
- Interested candidates should send a statement of interest and CV to Dr. Jikai Zhao (zhao@utrgv.edu)
- Will conduct interviews immediately and continue until suitable candidates are selected
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