Engineering bacteria for waste upcycling and chemical/material production

Overview

Projects are available for students interested in engineering bacteria to convert industrial waste streams into valuable products for sustainable biomanufacturing. Forestry, agriculture, food processing, and wastewater industries generate large amounts of waste carbon and nitrogen that currently goes to waste and damages the environment. These wastes represent an untapped resource that could be used for sustainable biomanufacturing while reducing environmental impacts associated with their buildup and release.

Engineered bacteria are a powerful tool that can be engineered to use a variety of waste sources and produce tailored products as replacement chemicals and materials. Projects are focused on developing bacterial platforms for converting pre-digested waste streams rich in volatile fatty acids and ammonium and producing valuable biological polymers, chemicals, and materials as replacements for petrochemically sourced products. Projects will involve molecular biology, microbiology, genetic engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution, and genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Depending on project level and progression, advanced technologies such as CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screens, systems biology, and protein/cofactor engineering are also available.

We are seeking highly-motivated students with a passion for environmental waste remediation, microbiology, biotechnology, and synthetic biology. Students interested in applying can reach out to project supervisor Dr Ross Eaglesfield (Biochemistry, University of Otago) for more details.

Applicants must be eligible for admission to the suited degree programme at the University of Otago and have a strong background in biological sciences.

PhD candidates will be required to gain a scholarship from the University of Otago scholarship fund (or equivalent).

Find out more about doctoral scholarships at Otago

Useful information

• Graduate research at the University of Otago
• Scholarships at the University of Otago