Sustainable production of high-value compounds using cyanobacteria
We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2024. Applications are invited for the project title Sustainable production of high-value compounds using cyanobacteria. Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £21,237, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).
You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.
You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering research and PhD programmes | Brunel University London
The Project
There is increasing need for sustainable production technologies to produce the diverse range of compounds society relies on. Biotechnology is increasingly emerging as a way of sustainably producing key compounds. The use of photosynthetic microorganisms like cyanobacteria is especially interesting in this regard as the major feedstocks are light and carbon dioxide which offers the potential for highly sustainable production technologies.
This project will focus on the development of novel processes for the production of high-value compounds (e.g. carotenoid pigments, vitamins, nutraceuticals and cosmetic ingredients) using cyanobacteria. Areas to be explored can include strain screening and development, process optimisation and scale-up, downstream processing and techno-economic analysis.
Please contact Dr Dale McClure at dale.mcclure@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.
Eligibility
Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.
Skills and Experience
Applicants will be required to demonstrate the following skills;
- Skills and experience in working in a laboratory environment, including the cultivation of microorganisms. Experience cultivating photoautotrophic organisms is a benefit, but not necessary.
- Experience in analytical techniques (e.g. HPLC or GC) would be beneficial.
- The ability to analyse and interpret experimental data.
You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.
How to apply
There are two stages of the application:
1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link
https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-24-25-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon
by 16.00 on Friday 5th April 2024.
2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 72hrs.
- Your up-to-date CV;
- Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
- Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
- Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
- Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.
Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.
Interviews will take place in April/May 2024.