A PhD position is available at Cemagref, Rennes (IRM-Food). This collaborative project amongst the groups IRM-Food and PV-BIA, INRA (Marc Lahaye) aimed at characterisation of microstructure distribution of apple fruit by quantitative MRI.
All the necessary details regarding this position are detailed below. Applications close 15 Juin 2011.
Interested applicants should send the required application document at: maja.musse@cemagref.fr.
Purpose:
The quantitative MRI and NMR relaxometry offer the possibility to access macroscopic (tissue distribution), mesoscopic (local porosity) and microscopic (subcellular water distribution) changes and associated with chemical and mechanical characterisation of tissues, would make it possible to understand the influence of tissue structure to mechanical properties of the fruit. The main questions that the thesis will try to answer are:
- Among the hystological (cell dimensions), biophysical (turgor pressure, membrane permeability) and chemical characteristics, what are those who determine the relaxation times and diffusion coefficient?
- What is the influence of the porosity and its distribution within the tissues on the mechanical properties of the fruit?
- Do the distributions of the relaxation times and diffusion coefficient measured by MRI and their time variation depend on the plant variety?
- Is it possible to consider the relaxation times, diffusion coefficient and the porosity measured by MRI for the phenotyping?
Relaxation times and apparent diffusion coeficient measured by MRI and NMR will be correlated with macrovision and microscopic images of apple parenchyma and with its chimical and mechanical properties. Fruits with known and very different chaarcteristcs (cell dimensions, firmness, elasticity of apple flesh) will be used.
Scills required by the candidate:
The candidate should have bases on MRI/NMR physics, some knowelage of biology and be able to work in an interdisciplinary environment. A Master's degree or equivalent is required.
Maja Musse, PhD
NMR/MRI group
Food process engineering research unit Cemagref
17, avenue de Cucillé
CS 64427
35044 Rennes cédex
tél : 02 23 48 21 79
fax : 02 23 48 21 15
mailto:maja.musse@cemagref.fr
