Motivation
The increase in the world population, vulnerability of conventional crop production to climate change, and population shifts to megacities justify a re-examination of current methods of waste treatment plants. By upgrading treatment plants to factories in which the incoming materials are first deconstructed to units such as ammonia, carbon dioxide and clean minerals, one can implement a highly intensive and efficient microbial resynthesis process in which the used nutrients is harvested as microbial protein. This can be used for animal feed and food purposes. Within this project, we will use the end products of water electrolysis, hydrogen and oxygen, to upgrade the recovered nutrients into biomass.
Research challenge
The aim is to compose in vitro synthetic hydrogen oxidising multispecies communities/collaboromes (HOC) consisting of hydrogen oxidising bacteria as core populations and heterotrophic bacteria as satellites, that are selected towards interesting biotechnological endpoints, such as single cell protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyhydroxybuteric acid, vitamins, amino acids and biopolymers, and to elucidate the crucial members and interaction mechanisms. Initially, isolation will be used to dissect a mixed microbial community (enrichment of original sample) into culture collections of heterotrophs and hydrogen oxidising bacteria. Subsequently, different sets of isolates will be assembled and the best performing HOC will be selected by evaluating the performance (specific metabolite production) of the HOC in high-throughput essays.
The increase in the world population, vulnerability of conventional crop production to climate change, and population shifts to megacities justify a re-examination of current methods of waste treatment plants. By upgrading treatment plants to factories in which the incoming materials are first deconstructed to units such as ammonia, carbon dioxide and clean minerals, one can implement a highly intensive and efficient microbial resynthesis process in which the used nutrients is harvested as microbial protein. This can be used for animal feed and food purposes. Within this project, we will use the end products of water electrolysis, hydrogen and oxygen, to upgrade the recovered nutrients into biomass.
Research challenge
The aim is to compose in vitro synthetic hydrogen oxidising multispecies communities/collaboromes (HOC) consisting of hydrogen oxidising bacteria as core populations and heterotrophic bacteria as satellites, that are selected towards interesting biotechnological endpoints, such as single cell protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyhydroxybuteric acid, vitamins, amino acids and biopolymers, and to elucidate the crucial members and interaction mechanisms. Initially, isolation will be used to dissect a mixed microbial community (enrichment of original sample) into culture collections of heterotrophs and hydrogen oxidising bacteria. Subsequently, different sets of isolates will be assembled and the best performing HOC will be selected by evaluating the performance (specific metabolite production) of the HOC in high-throughput essays.
Desired skills and experience
RequirementsWe
are looking for a candidate with an MSc degree in the field of
Microbiology or Bio-engineering with microbiological, isolation skills
and experience with flow cytometry and DNA based sequencing techniques.
Knowledge of bio-informatics and analytical chemistry is useful.
Partnership
The research project is part of the Wetsus research theme “Protein form water”
The following companies are part of the theme: Avecom (Be), DC Water (USA)
Promotor: Prof. Nico Boon (Ghent University, LabMET)
For more information about the project and to submit an application, please visit
Partnership
The research project is part of the Wetsus research theme “Protein form water”
The following companies are part of the theme: Avecom (Be), DC Water (USA)
Promotor: Prof. Nico Boon (Ghent University, LabMET)
For more information about the project and to submit an application, please visit
About the employer
Wetsus
is looking for excellent and highly motivated candidates with interest
in water science and technology having an MSc degree in microbiology,
chemistry, (applied) physics, bio-technology, chemical engineering,
electronics, mechanical engineering, or related disciplines.
The Wetsus research program brings together research on water technology from over 16 universities from all over Europe in one physical location in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. The research is demand driven through active participation of more than 90 industrial partners in the program. Key elements in the program are the strong focus on interdisciplinary interaction, entrepreneurial skills and societal relevance.
You will be working in an innovative, dynamic and future-directed institute on water technology research. You will work in close collaboration with industrial partners.
The Wetsus research program brings together research on water technology from over 16 universities from all over Europe in one physical location in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. The research is demand driven through active participation of more than 90 industrial partners in the program. Key elements in the program are the strong focus on interdisciplinary interaction, entrepreneurial skills and societal relevance.
You will be working in an innovative, dynamic and future-directed institute on water technology research. You will work in close collaboration with industrial partners.
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