We are looking for a highly motivated graduate with a strong interest in Industrial Biotechnology for a 4-year full-time BBSRC i-CASE Ph.D. studentship at the University of York, in partnership with the nutraceutical company Sibelius.
Manufacturing generates waste that can become feedstocks for biological conversion to high-value products. The unicellular red alga Galdieria sulphuraria (Galdieria) displays enormous metabolic capacity and grows in highly acidic conditions. One feedstock is waste bio-glycerol obtained from biodiesel conversation of frying oils. Galdieria thrives on this mucky, methanol-containing glycerol as a carbon source. Galdieria biomass has high economic potential, due to enormous levels of thermostable phycocyanin (PC), which is commercialised as an antioxidant and natural food colourant.
This project will start by assessing Galdieria growth methods for the remediation of the mixture of waste-acid (pH=1) and of waste bio-glycerol into the production of high-value biomass. It will be key to predict how Galdieria grows in different feedstock-mix conditions. To this end, genome-scale metabolic models in development will be refined by the student. A sensitivity analysis will also be performed to determine how feedstock variations affects PC yield.
Next High-PC generating Galdieria will be investigated at a pre-industrial scale. Experimental data on PC protein yield will be generated. RNA-sequencing and full-genome resequencing in the strains that went through process-product optimisation will be conducted to determine the genomic mechanisms that facilitated industrial gains. This informs on the basic biology of Galdieria and its genetics of metabolism. Transcriptomics of these stains will be "mapped" to the refined metabolic models.
In the context of the placement collaboration with the company Sibelius, the subsequent step will be to design an extraction and purification protocols for PC as a scalable method. From this, spectroscopy of this chromoprotein will determine PC stability after processing, where functionality is assessed physically and biochemically. Bio-safety of the PC will be evaluated using the Sibelius Chronoscreen technology. Finally pilot scale experimental data on biomass and PC protein yields will be examined at a pre-industrial scale production. Throughout the student would consider the parameters that influence an economic business case.
Our public-private interaction trains a student in a variety of techniques in considerations of remediation goals of waste streams as a primary economic benefit, followed by product generation of high-value PC as a secondary deliverable. This notably provides skills training in phycology research, with physiology and growth assessments, genomics, metabolic biochemistry and protein biochemistry as primary deliverables. This is integrated into the use and modifications of genome-scale metabolic models and the subsequent refinements within safety assessment experiments. Collectively this project thus results in a demonstration design of a new biological conversion system and process. The student's work would provide "building blocks" for a business case to facilitate Galdieria's utility in waste-to-wealth conversion. This project will be delivered in partnership with Sibelius Ltd. If a student is recruited, the project will be converted to an i-CASE (industry partnership) following the start date of October 2022.
The WR DTP and the University of York are committed to recruiting future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and we have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Entry Requirements: Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply. The interdisciplinary nature of this programme means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any biological, chemical, and/or physical science, or students with mathematical backgrounds who are interested in using their skills in addressing biological questions.
Programme: PhD in Mechanistic Biology (4 years)
Start Date: 1st October 2022 (the student will be affiliated with the Department of Biology)
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in mid February 2022