Postdoctoral researcher (18-month fixed-term contract) - CHEMO-ENZYMATIC EXTRACTION OF POLYGALACTURONAN POLYSACCHARIDES BY REACTIVE EXTRUSION FOR DETERGENT APPLICATIONS

id="offer-description" class="ecl-u-type-heading-2 ecl-u-mt-none ecl-u-mb-l">Offer Description Project background: . Polyacrylic acids (PAAs), widely used in the detergent industry for their anti-scaling properties, are a family of water-soluble, non-biodegradable polymers that may be released into wastewater and accumulate in the environment. The development of bio-based and biodegradable alternatives is therefore an important challenge for the design of more environmentally friendly detergents. The ANR PEPR B-BEST EXTRAPEC project aims to develop uronic acid polymers (UAPs) derived from plant-based resources as alternatives to PAAs. These natural polysaccharides, composed of sugar units bearing carboxylic acid functions, have significant potential to reproduce the antiscaling properties of PAAs while offering the advantage of biodegradability. Pectins, which consist of partially esterified polyuronic chains bearing rhamnogalacturonan side chains (RG-I and RGII), are therefore a promising source of UAPs. Sugar beet pulp (SBP), an abundant co-product of the sugar industry and a pectin-rich biomass, is particularly attractive as a feedstock for their production. The project aims to develop the chemo-enzymatic extraction and purification of pectin-derived polygalacturonans from sugar beet pulp using reactive extrusion (REX). Reactive extrusion is an innovative technology that enables a wide range of operations, including the extraction and chemo-enzymatic modification of natura