Job ID: 71411

Postdoc: MP Quantification in Fruits & Vegetables - Method Dev. & Initial Application

Agroscope

Location: Zürich, Switzerland

Apply by: 27 Sep 2026

Relevant Sectors

Administration, HR, Management, Accounting/Finance

Postdoc: MP Quantification in Fruits & Vegetables - Method Dev. & Initial Application

Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector, attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER. The 'Environmental Analytics' Research Group supports Agroscope researchers in chemical-analytical matters and contributes methodology development and its own research projects to an improved understanding of the fate and behaviour of substances in the anthroposphere, the agricultural sector and the environment, with target analytes ranging from heavy metals to microplastics and organic micropollutants.

This is how you can contribute:
- Develop dedicated sample preparation workflows to isolate microplastic (MP) from different fruit and vegetable matrices, starting off from established in-house protocols for MP extraction and detection in complex environmental samples by FPA-µ-FTIR or QCL based IR imaging
- Transfer the developed pipeline into a verified standard operating procedure suitable for routine conditions
- Establish “risk based” and “exposition based” monitoring strategies for MP in selected fruits and vegetables and conduct corresponding pilot studies
- MP quantification, data analysis and interpretation
- Reporting to authorities, stakeholders and the scientific community at national and international meetings and conferences, by means of presentations, reports and publications

This makes you unique:
- PhD in chemistry, environmental sciences, material sciences or a related field
- Solid background in polymer chemistry and environmental analytical chemistry; knowledge of fruit and vegetable production and food safety aspects
- Hands-on experience in sampling, sample preparation and state-of-the-art analytical instruments to quantify MP in environmental compartments
- Experience in programming and data analysis
- Self-driven curiosity and strong observational skills during experimentation
- Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and English

In a nutshell: The project is financed by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office and will be executed in collaboration with Eawag (Dr. Ralf Kägi) and Empa (Dr. Christoph Hüglin, Prof. Peter Wick). Formal employment and supervision is with Agroscope; the working place is in the particle laboratory of Dr. Ralf Kägi at Eawag, Dübendorf. Fixed term of 2½ years, starting 01.11.2026 (or by agreement), ending 30.04.2029. Workload 80-100%. Place of work: Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich.

Closing date: 2026-09-27

HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online via the Apply now link: https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/redirect/bd8fa650-dbc3-4973-aeb5-2d61a9546d2d/ats/ (Reference no.: JRQ$540-20111). Questions about the position: Thomas Bucheli, Research Group Leader, +41 58 46 87342.