Optimising industrial gas fermentation for commercial low-carbon fuel and chemical production through systems and synthetic biology approaches.

Heightened concerns over global warming and fossil fuel supply, security and prices, has led to a paradigm shift in perceived routes to chemical commodity production and energy generation. There is a burgeoning need for the sustainable production of hydrocarbons for energy, lubricants and platform and speciality chemicals though ‘biological engineering’. Acetogenic Clostridium species, such as C. ljungdahlii, are able to capture carbon (CO or CO2) through anaerobic gas fermentation. They grow on a spectrum of waste gases from industry (eg., steel manufacturing, oil refining, coal and natural gas) as well as ‘synthesis gas’ (CO & H2) produced from renewable and sustainable resources, such as biomass and domestic/ agricultural wastes. This enables low carbon fuels and chemicals to be produced in any industrialized geography without consumption of valuable food or land resources.

Working with an industrial leader in the field, LanzaTech, we will use metabolic engineering to both better understand and thence optimise and extend product streams through a combination of systems and synthetic biology approaches. Strains created will be evaluated under industrially relevant conditions. This studentship, according to preference, exploit world-leading gene technologies developed at Nottingham (1-5) to either: (i) use forward and reverse genetics to better understand the biology of the Clostridium process strains through systems approaches; (ii) undertake metabolic engineering of the process strain to increase the productivity of the current product streams, or; (iii) focus on implementation of new metabolic pathways to extend product streams using synthetic biology approaches.

The project offers training in anaerobic microbiology, advanced microbial genetics, molecular biology, continuous culture systems, gas/liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and synthetic biology/metabolic engineering. The Clostridia Research Group (http://www.clostron.com/people.php) is part of the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC). The studentship will also interact closely with LanzaTech, ranked number three on the list of the "50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy" by Biofuels Digest. The CRG has additionally formed strong partnerships with groups in the US, China and India, providing ample opportunity to take part in international conferences, workshops, and exchange programmes.

The successful candidate will join a highly motivated and well-funded team of research scientists dedicated to the molecular characterisation and exploitation of clostridial species of medical and industrial importance. The group are located in state-of-the-art facilities in the newly completed, £25M Centre for Biomolecular Sciences (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cbs), a multidisciplinary research environment with frequent seminars and a vibrant microbial research community.

Applications should be in the form of a detailed CV and a covering letter. The CV should contain the names and contacts (including email addresses) of two referees, and the type, class and grade (or that predicted) of your degree.

Please send your application to Professor Nigel P Minton, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD. Email: [Email Address Removed]