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Help wanted: chocolate that doesn’t melt

ELEANOR HARDING|Published

Unfortunately for most of us, a life-long passion for chocolate will not be nearly enough to secure the role, which will begin in January next year. Unfortunately for most of us, a life-long passion for chocolate will not be nearly enough to secure the role, which will begin in January next year.

London - It sounds like a dream job – Cambridge University is searching for a student to spend three and a half years studying chocolate.

The role, which is fully-funded, will involve investigating ways to stop chocolate from melting when stored and sold in warm weather. The project hopes to find a new formula to ensure it remains solid.

But unfortunately for most of us, a life-long passion for chocolate will not be nearly enough to secure the role, which will begin in January next year.

Clues to the task ahead include that the researcher will be based in Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. Among the supervisors will be a professor of geotechnical engineering, a professor of soft matter physics and an expert in chemical engineering.

The advert states that the role’s theoretical aspects “will require good mathematical skills”. Applicants must also have experience in experimental investigations, at least four years of study at university level and a high-grade degree in a relevant discipline.

Much of the work, supervised by academics with “extensive experience in studying soft solids”, will be experimental.

An advert posted on the university’s website states: “The project will investigate the factors which allow chocolate, which has a melting point close to that of the human body, to remain solid and retain qualities sought by consumers when it is stored and sold in warm climates.”

It is sponsored by an unnamed company that is said to have existing technology in this field that it wants to build upon. Applications must be in this month, so it’s a bit late to start brushing up your maths skills. - Daily Mail