Postdoc (2) Microbial Community Engineering for the Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoa (PHAs)

Postdoctoral opportunities: Microbial Community Engineering for the Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)

How to drive a microbiome towards production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)?

Job description

A potential route for organic carbon recovery from wastewater is via the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs are biodegradable plastics that can be produced by microorganisms. We are collaborating with Paques Biomaterials to develop this process.

A novel route for enrichment of the PHA producing phenotype from a natural inoculum of microorganisms is via uncoupling in time of organic carbon and nutrient supply. Herewith microorganisms are enriched that convert organic carbon to PHA in absence of an essential growth nutrient (e.g. N or P) and upon subsequent supply of the growth nutrient they grow on the PHA produced previously. The impact of many operational variables (e.g. C/N ratio, volume exchange ratio, or feedstock composition) on the PHA production process remains unclear.

Specific challenges in process development are the incorporation of PHA production in a cellulose processing process (i.e. paper mill). Challenges in these industries are related to kinetic and stoichiometric characterization of anaerobic fermentation of cellulose to mixed organic acids and subsequent aerobic PHA production in an uncoupled system.

The objective of the work of PD1 (36-months appointment) is to conduct experiments in the Parallel Cultivation platform of the UNLOCK research infrastructure, to optimize the combined fermentation and PHA production process proposed. This project is conducted within the European Framework Water4All in cooperation with universities from Spain and Germany.

PD2 (14-months appointment) participates in a TKI project that aims for PHA production (i.e. PHBV) from food industry related feedstocks at elevated salt concentrations. The impact of elevated salt concentrations on the PHA production process will be investigated in this work.

Job requirements

We are searching for enthusiastic researchers in the field of Environmental Engineering, Environmental Biotechnology, Microbial Ecology, or related fields, preferably with affinity for bioreactor experiments, data handling, analytical methods, and/or molecular characterization of microbial communities.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 14 months and 36 months. Temporary.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.