We would like to announce a PhD Vacancy in the Research Group ‘Membrane Technology for a Sustainable World’ led by by Prof. Patricia Luis at UCLouvain in Belgium.

Profile

Candidate with a Master diploma in the field of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Environmental Engineering, Biochemistry, or similar. A plus if the candidate has experience with membrane technology and engineering.

The candidate should have the following aptitudes:

• Willing to work in an international group
• Sociable, team worker, helpful and friendly
• Willing to travel (international conferences, workshops, network meetings)
• English is a mandatory language (high level in writing and spoken English). Speaking French is a plus.
• Basic knowledge on metabolic pathways is a plus.

Status:

#1 year PhD grant, renewable until completion of PhD (4 years), starting as soon as possible (to be negotiated with the candidate).

Research topic:

Enzymatic regeneration of NADH in the context of CO2 capture and conversion

The current emergency on climate change is accelerating the extreme need for technology can reduce CO2 emissions. Currently, CO2 capture and conversion is considered as the way to have economic advantage by using a ‘waste’ (CO2) to produce high value molecules. However, CO2 is a quite stable molecule and its conversion needs significant amount of energy, which could lead to more CO2 emissions depending on the energy source. This research is very challenging. Using enzymatic conversion in combination with membrane technology can truly reduce energy consumption and produce specific compounds with high purity. But here, two critical needs must be met:

• Enzymatic conversions require very expensive cofactors, such as NADH. Its regeneration is essential but not easy at low energy
• Commercial membranes are made of non-biosourced and potentially toxic polymers (e.g., PVDF) and using toxic solvents (e.g. NMP). A big concern has recently raised on the field of membrane technology due to the end of life of the membranes. They are plastics and they contribute to the current plastic

The PhD project will face those two challenges and proposes a new process and new membranes that are made with biosourced (and greener) polymers and solvents to be applied in the regeneration of NADH, required during enzymatic conversions of CO2 into high valuable products.

For more info contact patricia.luis@uclouvain.be