We are looking for PhD candidates to join the TACsy (Training Alliance for Computational Systems Chemistry)
Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Joint Doctoral Network. This network consists of fifteen (15) highly interlinked PhD projects, of which this particular call is for project DC11
Design of Novel Pathways for Production of Bio-Based Chemicals in Multi-Enzyme Cascades. The anticipated start date is 1 September 2023, but flexibility in both directions is possible.
There is increasing interest in the production of chemicals from renewable bio-based feed-stocks in the transition to a circular economy. Great advances have been made in the use of biological pathways to replace traditional chemical routes, for example in the production of polylactic acid from lactic acid bacteria. However, there are limitations in exploiting living organisms and some processes remain uneconomical. Transformations may be achieved under wider conditions using non-natural cascade reactions involving multiple enzymes, and efforts have been made to split reactions into small functional units, which can be recombined into production pipelines for various applications.
The aim of this project is to develop computational methods for MEC modularization for the production of chemicals from biomass. The project will involve design of novel pathways for products such as bioplastics using computational techniques at University of Vienna, Austria and a nine-month secondment at the University of Sheffield, UK to develop microfluidics methods for screening relevant enzymatic reactions and "wet-lab debugging" approaches. You will also undergo a short secondment to Fluigent for training in microfluidics.
We are seeking a PhD candidate who has or is expected to have a Master's degree in chemical/biochemical engineering, computer science, chemistry or related discipline at the time of recruitment. Some knowledge of enzyme kinetics, systems chemistry/biology or mathematical biology would be beneficial. Willingness to travel and work as part of an interdisciplinary team is essential!
The candidates will all be part of a strong joint PhD training programme, with a focus on career development, application writing, communication skills, and community building through scientific summer schools.
All candidates will be expected to:
- Have potential for conducting outstanding research, as demonstrated by scientific accomplishments (in particular quality of thesis, but also e.g. code repositories, conference presentations, outreach activities, or publications).
- Be interested in working in a multidisciplinary and international research environment.
- Have excellent communication skills in English, verbally as well as in scientific writing.
- Be willing to undertake international research stays, internships, and travels.
These positions are subject to the entry into force of grant agreement no 101072930 by and between the European Research Executive Agency and University of Southern Denmark and thereby funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.
Deadline
2 May 2023.
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on
www.sdu.dk.