PhD candidate Epidemiology of Metabolism Disrupting Compounds (1.0 FTE)
Mol
PhD
Description:
We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative researcher to strengthen our research group. Your work will be part of a European research project funded under the H2020 research programme of the EU, i.e. the GOLIATH project: Generation Of Novel, Integrated and Internationally Harmonised Approaches for Testing Metabolism Disrupting Compounds (MDCs).
MDCs are natural and anthropogenic chemicals that have the ability to promote metabolic changes that can ultimately result in obesity, diabetes and/or fatty liver in humans. The GOLIATH project will generate the world’s first integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) specifically tailored to MDCs.
You will summarize the literature on occurrence and health effects of MDCs to enable prioritization of testing schemes. Based on outcomes from the testing schemes, you will validate these findings in ongoing birth cohort studies (e.g., YOUTH and FLEHS). You will investigate changes in metabolic outcome parameters (anthropometric measures, concentrations of hormones) in relation to concentrations of suspected and known metabolic disruptors in biological matrices. You will unravel the molecular pathways that connect chemical exposure to outcome through the analysis of -omics data (transcriptome, epigenome, metabolome).
You will work at the cross boundaries of Environmental Health Sciences and Molecular Biology. You will have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with high level international researchers. You will be based both at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, and at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Belgium. You will publish the findings as papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. These papers will form the basis of your PhD thesis.
The VITO Data Science Hub designs, develops, tests and valorises data-intensive algorithms to improve sustainability in the areas of Energy, Materials, Chemistry, Health and Land Use. It holds a horizontal structure and operates on corporate level. This hub focuses on:
Strategy development for data science on corporate level
Multidisciplinary data-intensive projects
Supporting and coaching staff in relation to machine learning and automated data analysis
Helping to develop reusable software and working to raise the TRL (technology readiness level)
THE ROLE
You focus on designing and developing reusable software in which data science takes a central role
You work together with 5 colleagues
You advise staff from various VITO departments regarding the use of data science techniques
You participate in educating, training and coaching staff within our various VITO units
You broaden your knowledge and expertise, and remain up-to-date regarding the new developments and the data science community
You publish research results (in collaboration with PhD students) and present at international fora
You play an active part in drawing up research proposals and acquiring new projects
You help to identify new IP opportunities and valorisation initiatives
MSCA POSTDOC FRACTIONATION AND MONITORING OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES WITH INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS.
Mol
Postdoc
Description:
Lipid membrane-packed extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by living cells are able to transfer their molecular cargo to recipient cells, which is accompanied by the reprogramming of the recipient cell functions. The release of EVs in the different body fluids in health and disease thus represents a biologically significant communication system, rendering them a promising tool for early detection and monitoring of diseases. The presence of EV-associated inflammation biomarkers and their link with underlying inflammatory processes in cardiovascular, neurological and immune diseases, cancer, and infection has been established. In conditions of serious illness the continuous and sensitive monitoring of inflammation biomarkers can be life-saving.
A novel technology for continuous biomarker monitoring based on Particle Mobility Sensing (PMS) with single-molecule resolution is being developed by Eindhoven University of Technology and spin-off company Helia Biomonitoring. The technology allows for detection of mobility changes of micron-sized particles conjugated with specific affinity molecules for the targeted biomarkers [Visser, Nat Commun 2018]. Assays for detection of inflammatory biomarkers are presently being developed on the PMS platform. In this IF project, the in-line sample fractionation system for EV isolation will be combined with PMS in order to study the feasibility of continuous EV-based inflammatory biomarker monitoring.
The project will focus on developing a filter membrane-based column combining size selectivity with affinity for isolation of small EV subsets (50-150 nm), which can be directly coupled with the PMS platform. This fractionation system will initially be optimized using reference vesicles (synthetic liposomes and/or recombinant cell-derived EVs) spiked in buffer. Next, tests will be run with EVs secreted by a well-defined in vitro cell culture system showing reproducible inflammatory marker release kinetics after external stimulation (e.g. endothelial cell line stimulated with bacterial endotoxin to evoke an inflammatory response), and finally, with reference EVs spiked in plasma samples derived from different healthy donors to simulate real-life user conditions. System parameters (e.g. flow rate, column volume, membrane pore size, surface functionalization, etc.) will be evaluated by assessing quantitative and qualitative aspects of the isolated EV fractions using state-of-the-art methods (e.g. nanoparticle tracking analyses, western blot, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution flow cytometry). Inflammatory cytokine levels will be determined on intact versus lysate fractions using antibody arrays and/or ELISA as benchmarking technologies. Finally, proof-of-concept measurements will be performed with the PMS technology coupled to in-line fractionation of EVs to demonstrate the detection of 1 or 2 selected EV-associated inflammation markers in human plasma.
MSCA POSTDOC MIXED METAL OXIDE NANOSTRUCTURES FOR ENERGY APPLICATIONS: RATIONAL LIBRARY MADE ELECTROCHEMICALLY
Mol
Postdoc
Description:
Metal-air batteries, solar fuels, and fuel cells are among the technologies driving the intensive study and development of better electrocatalysts, e.g., for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution. The numerous methods existing for their synthesis yield different compositions, particle sizes, morphologies, ..., and ultimately determine their performance and affordability. On one hand, the rational synthesis and optimization of libraries of electrocatalysts in terms of structure and composition, is difficult. On the other hand, the large spread on the electrocatalytic performance of such electrocatalysts emphasizes the lack of control and reproducibility upon their synthesis. Ideally, large ranges of comparable materials with variable structures and compositions, as well as controllable and predictable structure-property relationships, should be synthesized rapidly and under the same operational conditions (e.g., synthesis route, flow, temperature, chemical environment, etc.). Only in this way, reliable benchmarking of electrocatalytic performances, mechanism conceptualization, and improvements towards a fast-track, affordable, and optimized production of such materials, can be achieved. Such a systematic platform for the systematic synthesis and screening of materials is not available today.
We have developed a novel, rapid, room-temperature, one-pot and one-step electrosynthesis platform that meets these characteristics. An unprecedented range of nanocrystalline mixed oxides and hydroxides can be achieved under comparable synthetic conditions, including birnessites, layered double hydroxides, and spinnels, which are amongst the best performing materials for the aforementioned electrocatalytic applications. So far, we have focused on cobalt-manganese compositions, but other promising chemistries are envisaged to achieve more significant outcomes.
The postdoctoral project will focus on developing and understanding the synthesis of a rational library of materials, to be screened for electrocatalytic energy applications. Preferred chemistries will include a combination of two or more of the following metals: Ni, Al, Co, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu. The nanocrystalline structures produced will be characterized via electronic microscopy, x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, DLS, single-particle ICP-MS, analytical titrations, etc., as well as for their electrocatalytic performance for at least one of the electrocatalytic reactions of interest, in a systematic manner. This will allow establishing structure-property-performance correlations, and ultimately will open the door for creating optimized libraries of the electrocatalytic materials. Benchmarking against the most performing materials reported in scientific or technical literature will demonstrate the superiority of the approach developed.
PHD POSITION ALGORITHMIC GAME AND DISTRIBUTED LEARNING FOR PEER-TO-PEER ENERGY TRADING
Genk
PhD
Description:
The increasing amount of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), which have recently been integrated in power systems, and the more proactive role of consumers have transformed the classical centralized power system operation by introducing more uncertainty and decentralization in the decisions. Following this trend, electricity markets are starting to restructure, from a centralized market design in which all the operations were managed by a central (global) market operator, modeled as a classical constrained optimization problem, to more decentralized designs involving local energy communities which can trade energy by the intermediate of the global market operator or in a peer-to-peer setting. This latter design requires the introduction of game-theoretical approaches to model the complex interactions between the agents and provide guidelines regarding decentralized system evolution.
The information (historics of the agents’ past actions, private information captured through types, etc.) that each agent can access is capital, as it impacts the agent’s strategy definition and the dynamic evolution of the underlying game. Various learning mechanisms can be implemented by the agents, in a distributed fashion (Bayesian inference, regret minimization, etc.). Questions on convergence of these distributed learning algorithms, as well as the capability for these algorithms to efficiently approximate equilibrium (Generalized Nash in case of shared resource, correlated equilibrium in case Nature is introduced) resulting from such complex underlying games, raise tricky questions.
In this PhD work we propose to:
• Develop and analyse a game-theoretic model for peer-to-peer energy trading where peers may have various level of information, the performance of which will be compared to centralized and hierarchical market designs. These latter will be used as benchmarks, and formulated using control-theoretic and Stackelberg game approaches in a context of sequential decision making. Endogenous risk impact on the market behavior will also be studied. To perform the comparison of the different market designs, performance indicators will be considered, reflecting various points of view on the system behavior (social welfare, efficiency loss relying on the Price of Anarchy, etc.)
• Provide methodological approaches for the design of a smart contract on top of a decentralized demand and supply matching platform, guaranteeing the automatic detection of a consensus reaching. Careful analysis of distributed trust-based communication mechanisms in a peer-to-peer market design setting should be provided.
• Analyse the robustness of the smart contract in case of malicious behavior of some agents, attacks or faults. The detection of these latter in a decentralized energy trading system will also be considered as a methodological approach.
Practicalities and organization: The PhD work will last 3.5 years, with a possible start in October 2019. The candidate is expected to prepare a workplan and to present it in front of a jury in Belgium, before the official start of the grant.
Contact: Please provide CV, motivation letter and two recommendation letters (by default, the names of two persons who could recommend you) to: • Dr Ana Busic (ana.busic@inria.fr) • Dr Hélène Le Cadre (helene.lecadre@vito.be)
R&D PROFESSIONAL ANALYSIS AND MODELING OF ELECTRIC ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
Genk
R&D & Engineering
Description:
You will be responsible for developing, analysing and modelling electric energy storage systems. The activities undertaken will range from simulating (including finite element simulations) to the technological design and development of innovative systems based on electric energy storage (including publications and patents).
The extensive field of research in which you will work involves the production, storage and consumption of electric energy. Within that field, you will focus upon electric energy storage systems and the service life of these systems.
You will develop a sufficiently broad and, at the same time, in-depth knowledge and utilise this in your research, enabling you to study, analyse and evaluate the problems and technical feasibility of innovative electric energy storage technologies in the context of smart grids.
You will publish and present research findings, both internally and externally to our clients.
You will publish and present research findings in peer-reviewed international journals. You will present research findings at international forums.
You will provide general support within ongoing projects and enthusiastically participate in the development of the 'smart systems for intelligent energy networks' program.
The VITO Data Science Hub designs, develops, tests and valorises data-intensive algorithms to improve sustainability in the areas of Energy, Materials, Chemistry, Health and Land Use. It’s a horizontal structure at corporate level. The Hub focuses on: • Strategy formation of data science activities at corporate level • Multidisciplinary data-intensive projects • Support and coaching of employees with regard to high-performance computing, machine learning and automated data analysis • The co-development of reusable knowledge and software and increasing the TRL (technology readiness level)
THE ROLE
You focus on opening up, harmonising and coordinating the use of available computing power at VITO in accordance with data-intensive research questions and AI applications in consultation with the data science infrastructure architect.
You will supervise and support employees within the various VITO departments with the implementation and optimisation of computationally intensive algorithms on the available computing infrastructure (GPU servers and computing clusters), both within and outside VITO.
You will design, develop and maintain qualitative and reusable AI software components to support data-intensive research and AI applications.
You will expand your knowledge and expertise and follow the trends within the deep learning, data science and distributed computing community, and experiment with new technologies to assess their potential for VITO.
You will work together with 5 colleagues within the Data Science Hub and will be prepared to further expand data science integration within VITO.
You will help organise training, education and coaching of the employees within the various VITO departments.
The VITO Data Science Hub designs, develops, tests and valorises data-intensive algorithms to optimise sustainability in the fields of Energy, Materials, Chemistry, Health and Land Use. It’s a horizontal structure at corporate level. The hub focuses on: • Strategy formation of data science activities at corporate level • Multidisciplinary data-intensive projects • Support and coaching of employees with regard to data management, storage and access, high-performance computing, machine learning and data analysis • The co-development of reusable knowledge and software and increasing the TRL (technology readiness level) Obtaining and making available the right data in the right way is an ever more important aspect of our strategic research and project work. This implies an increased need for knowledge of and experience with data architectures and functionalities associated with this. An (Open) Data Architecture offering customised solutions to researchers from the various VITO fields is also under construction, in order to leverage future-oriented data-driven research.
THE ROLE
You will be responsible for designing and developing data solutions with the aim of making data more easily accessible and (re)usable. See also FAIR principles.
You will design various systems with a range of objectives: from the safe storage of personal data, where necessary in accordance with the GDPR, to making public data sets available as open data.
You will draw up field-specific guidelines for the description, drawing up and sharing of data and code, in line with international standards and best practices.
You will supervise and support employees within the organisation with the implementation and optimisation of their data needs by means of data management plans, for example.
You will follow the most recent trends within the data architecture and open science communities and experiment with new technologies in order to assess their potential.
You will help organise training, education and coaching of the employees within the various departments.
No English translation as Dutch is required for this position. Please take a look at the vacancy in Dutch by consulting the dutch version of the website.
Are you an experienced project manager and are you in touch with energy technology? Do you have a strong analytical mind and do you want to work in a research environment with a focus on sustainability and social relevance? If so, this vacancy for a Project Manager for Energy Technology is perfect for you.
EnergyVille is a collaboration between the Flemish research partners KU Leuven, VITO, Imec and UHasselt about research into sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems. On the basis of their expertise, our researchers advise industry and governments. The energy technology unit works on various topics such as electrical storage, the optimisation of thermal energy systems, intelligent management of the demand, and storage and production in a (regulated) energy market context.
At EnergyVille you can participate in socially relevant projects and really make a difference when it comes to a more sustainable society. We are currently seeking a:
PROJECT MANAGER FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
As a member of our ‘Strategic Energy Research Roadmaps and Valorisation’ team, you will have an autonomous and wide-ranging role within the world of energy technologies.
You will be responsible for managing complex, international projects, carried out by partners with a broad range of expertise. Your range of duties will include staff planning, reports and budget management.
You will be in charge of defining and writing proposals for research, demonstration and valorisation projects related to various innovative energy technologies.
You will bring together the various partners within industry, government, research and end user.
You will work with researchers from different teams, each with their own expertise, and will ensure that these partnerships run smoothly and efficiently.
You will actively maintain external relationships and create sufficient visibility for ongoing initiatives.
VITO is a leading European independent research and consultancy centre in the areas of cleantech and sustainable development. Its research programme ‘Sustainable Materials Management’ has the ambition to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy from a materials perspective. One of our core research activities is the development of technologies for shaping powders into added value products for use in different industrial applications, like separation and recovery of valuable materials, advanced catalyst materials and energy storage.
Chromatography is the most widely used separation technique in chemical (research) laboratories and is commonly used in the chemical process industry. We aim to further develop innovative applications in this area, in close collaboration with industrial companies and other research institutes. As a post-doctoral fellow you will take an important role in the development of this rapidly evolving research track.
A key component of a chromatography set-up is the chromatography resin or stationary phase that consists typically of functionalized micro particles. Performance of the stationary phase is among other determined by both the porous architecture and the surface chemistry.
In our two year post-doctoral research project we will focus on the development of novel material concepts for chromatography, using innovative shaping methods and compatible surface modification technologies.
VITO has unique expertise in 3D-printing of ceramics and microsphere production. Both technologies will be used to develop specific porous architectures that allow uniform flow, increased surface area and lower pressure drop of the stationary phase .
In addition surface modification treatment will be tuned to optimize the surface chemistry of the novel stationary phase.
VITO is a leading European independent research and consultancy centre in the areas of cleantech and sustainable development. Its research programme ‘Sustainable Materials Management’ has the ambition to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy from am aterials perspective. One of our core research activities is the development of technologies for shaping materials into added value products for use in different industrial applications, like separation and recovery of valuable materials, advanced catalyst materials and energy storage.
Sol-gel chemistry covers the synthesis of materials (eg metal oxides) from solution-state precursors. This enables a variety in structure and composition of the solid product. Recent trends indicate an increase in the use of sol-gel chemistry for the development of nanoscale powders to be used as catalyst materials or supports functionalised separation beads. As a post-doctoral research fellow you will take an important role in the development of this rapidly evolving research track.
VITO has unique expertise in the shaping of powders using 3D-printing and microsphere production.
In this 2 year post-doctoral research project we aim to further develop specific sol-gel synthesis routes for metal oxides to be implemented in these innovative shaping technologies.
More specifically the chemistry of the sol-gel reaction will be tuned to optimize the kinetics towards our droplet coagulation or micro-reactor process. The aim is to control the architecture and composition of the microsphere;
Also novel sol-gel strategies for the solidification of the precursors during the 3D-printing process will be investigated;
An important aspect during this project is taking into account the scale-up of the process to relevant quantities for further testing in the various application under investigation.
We are looking for an excellent researcher with affinity for consultancy to reinforce the energy market team. You will be involved in several projects as the expert on the energy market design modelling. The markets in scope cover electricity markets: from electricity day-ahead markets to the reserve markets, and also gas markets and heat trade. You will model the markets in python and julia as optimisation problems, and also as games capturing market participant behaviour. You will be based in VITO/EnergyVille in Thor Park Genk.
As Expert Energy market modelling, you will
Work within the energy market team on several different projects.
Research new concepts for energy markets and products, and create new insights on innovative market design for all the involved stakeholders in the energy landscape.
Write and analyse mathematical formulation of different (multi-carrier) energy market designs. The mathematical formulation could include modelling behaviour of market participants.
Implement and solve the market design in python/Julia.
Provide policy and strategy advise based on your research findings to the relevant stakeholders.
Participate in writing (parts of) project proposals and offers to tenders.
Manage defined tasks related to your area of expertise.
As a researcher, you will contribute to the Flemish, European and international environmental policy relating to air quality.
You develop models that simulate and predict the presence of pollutants in the atmosphere. These models will be used to support the environmental policy of Flemish and foreign authorities and the industry. Urban air quality is a focus area of the team.
You are responsible for analysing model results and reporting to the client or the end user. Processing of (large) data sets therefore plays an important role.
You integrate your knowledge and expertise in collaborative projects with your fellow researchers, report the results of these and publish them in academic journals.
We are looking for a consultant with strong research skills to reinforce the energy market team. As an expert on energy markets and networks, you will be involved in a number of projects with the goal of designing a low carbon energy system. You will be in charge of acquiring new projects and writing proposals. You will be responsible for management of a task within your expertise. Topics include, but are not limited to market design (from futures to day-ahead to real time markets), local energy communities, emerging roles and tasks in the energy sector, business models for integration of flexibility in the electricity networks, and disruptive technologies in the energy sector. In your work, you will often be considering viewpoints of different stakeholders, and take into account technical, economic and regulatory aspects of the problem. You will be based in VITO/EnergyVille in Thor Park Genk.
As an expert on energy markets and networks, you will
Be involved as an expert on several international and national projects.
Identify challenges of different stakeholders in the energy markets.
Propose solutions to overcome the challenges faced by different stakeholders in the energy landscape.
Advise the relevant stakeholders based on your research findings.
Take the lead in writing offers to tenders and project proposals.
Manage tasks and projects related to your area of expertise.
Transfer your knowledge to more junior team members.
SENIOR R&D CONSULTANT ENERGY STRATEGIES AND POLICY
Genk
R&D & Engineering
Description:
As a senior consultant, you will advise policy makers and industry operating at European and international level on the evaluation, development and implementation of their energy and climate related strategies.
Coordinating and delivering integrated assessments on energy & climate policy, based upon collection and analysis of statistics & indicators, summarising and critically evaluating literature, stakeholder interviewing, for example.
You will interpret these results and on this basis, formulate scientific recommendations tailored to the client's needs. You will report the research results to our clients (authorities and industry).
You are responsible for coordinating and conducting consultative assignments within time and budget. You will work in a team, but will also be responsible for carrying out consultative assignments independently.
You will take the lead in writing client offers, research proposals and seeking funding opportunities.
You will continue expanding your knowledge within energy & climate policy domain on the basis of literature, networking, courses and on-the job experience. Within your area of expertise, you will be an active follower of the trends and the studies carried out by other consultants, research institutions and universities.
You will identify routes for new developments, playing an active role in exploring research questions for energy & climate related areas.
PHD POSITION RISK-AWARE QUANTIFICATION AND AGGREGATION TECHNIQES FOR OPTIMAL VALORIZATION OF ENERGY FLEXIBILITY
Genk
PhD
Description:
This PhD will considerably advance the state-of-the-art in optimal valorization and aggregation of energy flexibility by developing, integrating and exploiting novel algorithms for the dynamic quantification of uncertainty and risks regarding energy flexibility.
· In the state-of-the-art of flexibility research, emerging uncertainty is explored and sampled when modelling and optimizing flexibility, but precise definitions and quantifications are lacking.
· This uncertainty will be quantified during this PhD research, using appropriate data science techniques to calculate the risk-of-unexpected-unavailability of the flexibility that was offered earlier, and that take this risk into account when valorizing the energy flexibility in different applications and markets. The result will be that a larger scala of flexibility carriers and types can be valorized.
· The risk factors will be explored and quantified from the points-of-views of the flexibility buyer and the flexibility provider, and applied/adapted to a broad spectrum of energy generating/consuming device types. Ultimately the goals is to provide an approach that can be applied to any type of energy flexibility carriers, including those that cannot be explicitly modelled using a white box or grey box approach
· Novel optimization algorithms will be developed that maximize the reward functions for either and both points-of-view in the context of current and future energy and energy-flexibility markets.
Collaboration with University of Ghent Registration deadline: 29/07/2019
The VITO-GOAL laboratory specializes in organic and inorganic analysis. Every year, it processes over 150 projects. The laboratory rarely carries out standard measurements. Most of its work is “made-to-measure”; especially made to fit the client’s demands. Clients often approach the laboratory with a specific problem or question, rather than wanting to know which analysis they would need. Our analytical team proposes a plan of approach and it helps provide solutions. The laboratory has a wide range of technology at its disposal; from simple to highly sophisticated equipment. Our customers are players in various industries: chemistry, food, pharmaceutics. Any complex question can be answered by the VITO-GOAL laboratory. Would you like to contribute to this team? We are looking for a motivated Lab Professional to strengthen our organic analysis team.
You are involved in the realization of various analysis tasks within the organic team. Together with the project leader, you think about the approach of the analysis and you make an estimate of the efforts to be made (time & resources);
The focus is on analysis using GC and LC chromatographic techniques coupled with mainly DAD and MS
You are responsible for the entire analysis process: sample preparation, development and validation of the most suitable measuring method, performing of measurements, quality control, interpreting the raw data obtained and the associated data processing and reporting. You make sure that the analysis are performed within the given deadlines and within the available budgets.
You perform these tasks in collaboration with other GC and LC team members. You report to the project leader.
You will actively contribute to the development process of new methods and to the improvement of applications already existing.
You communicate independently and on time about the progress of the work and about any unforeseen circumstances for which you work out a plan of action into a solution.
