Postdoctoral Fellowship: Research Fellow (Oral Processing) — Singapore Institute of Technology

Original title: Research Fellow (Oral Processing) – DJ3

About the Role

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is a University of Applied Learning that works closely with industry partners to deliver translational, impact-driven research. This Research Fellow position sits within the Food, Chemical and Biotechnology division and supports applied food processing research projects with strong industry relevance, focusing on product development, process optimisation and food characterisation.

• Employment type: Fixed Term
• Division: Food, Chemical and Biotechnology
• Posting start date: 8 May 2026

Key Responsibilities

As Research Fellow, you will lead and manage fundamental research projects on the mechanical and textural characterisation of meat and novel foods, working closely with Principal Investigators, co-PIs and academic partners from NTU and A*STAR. Your duties will include:

• Establishing a nanomechanical and macro-textural foundation for small-sample cultivated meat using advanced tools such as AFM, micro-indentation, micro texture analysers (e.g. TA.XT plus) and confocal laser microscopy, to quantify hardness, chewiness, springiness, fracture stress and fracture strain on small food samples.
• Comparing the feasibility, resolution and accuracy of AFM, indenter and micro-TA probe-type systems specifically for characterising cultivated meat.
• Deploying dynamic oral processing simulation platforms, including tribology, Kramer shear cell testing and mastication simulators, to investigate breakdown characteristics, brittleness versus plasticity, and frictional/lubrication properties.
• Generating mechanistic insights linking textural dynamics to sensory perception.
• Integrating multi-modal datasets from mastication simulators into a 3D Principal Component Analysis (PCA) space to compare cultivated meat with conventional animal meat and identify key textural descriptors of equivalence.
• Developing novel experimental and analytical methodologies to address gaps in small-sample meat texture characterisation and oral processing simulation.
• Consolidating experimental data into robust evidence packages for academic publications, grant reporting and translational research decisions.
• Coordinating project timelines, milestones, resource allocation, procurement, and compliance with institutional and ethical requirements.
• Preparing and submitting high-quality scientific manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals, as well as technical reports, progress updates and final deliverables for funding agencies.
• Engaging with internal and external academic collaborators, organising progress meetings, and contributing to technology transfer where relevant.
• Presenting research outcomes at international conferences, academic seminars and stakeholder meetings, and contributing to approved outreach activities.
• Communicating with all relevant stakeholders to meet project deliverables, and performing any other ad hoc duties assigned by the supervisor.

Candidate Requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or doctoral qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Physics, Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Biomaterials, Biological Engineering or a closely related discipline. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• A strong background in the mechanical properties of soft matter, food texture analysis, or biopolymer/tissue mechanics, with demonstrable experience in cultivated meat, plant-based meat analogues or animal tissue characterisation.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical characterisation tools (AFM, indentation, DMA, texture analysers, rheometer, tribology, CLSM, low-field NMR) and a solid understanding of fracture mechanics.
• Proficiency in oral processing simulation techniques such as tribology, Kramer shear testing and/or mastication simulators, with the ability to interpret breakdown and lubrication behaviour in a mechanistic context.
• Competence in multivariate statistical analysis, particularly PCA, 3D PCA or other dimensionality-reduction methods for complex multimodal datasets.
• Experience working with limited sample volumes and designing robust experimental protocols for small-batch cultivated meat production.
• Evidence of scientific productivity, including first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations or equivalent outputs.
• Ability to translate complex experimental outcomes into testable hypotheses and conceptual frameworks rather than product-focused deliverables.
• Strong project ownership and autonomy, with the capacity to balance scientific depth, reproducibility and methodological rigour.
• Excellent scientific writing skills, including manuscripts, funding proposals and technical documentation.
• Detail orientation, self-motivation, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary academic teams under pressure.
• Good communication and stakeholder management skills, including liaison with lab and equipment managers, finance and procurement teams, equipment vendors and external academic partners.

Original vacancy