About the Project

Low-temperature biorefining has the potential to transform waste carbon streams into carboxylates, a versatile and high-value class of platform chemicals. Operation at reduced temperatures offers opportunities to develop more energy-efficient and flexible bioprocesses incorporating novel membrane-based separation systems. Optimisation of low-temperature biorefining and its transition to full-scale use will require improvements to process stability, productivity, and product recovery. Improved understanding and optimisation of these factors will, in turn, require cutting-edge tools capable of resolving dynamic metabolic behaviour under varying environmental and substrate conditions.

This PhD project will investigate the optimisation of low-temperature biorefining processes through the integration of advanced process monitoring and separation technologies. A key component will be the application of VFASense a novel online VFA sensing platform developed at the University of South Wales, based on automated sampling and capillary electrophoresis, enabling real-time quantification and speciation of VFAs. This will be combined with the development and evaluation of novel in situ separation approaches, including membrane-based extraction systems, to enhance product recovery and mitigate process limitations associated with low-temperature operation. The project will generate new insight into the interplay between microbial community function, process conditions, and product formation, with the aim of improving system performance and supporting the development of scalable, energy-efficient biorefining technologies.

The PhD student will integrate with an established research team, developing physical integration strategies, as well as control and optimisation paradigms for both fermentative carboxylate production and its in situ recovery. They will work across a range of fermentation scales, from small-scale fermentation arrays through to pilot-scale, site-deployable systems. The PhD project will complement ‘BIO-VISTA’, the Royal Academy of Engineering Green Future Fellowship project in low-temperature biorefining, led by Dr Jaime Massanet-Nicolau, and will also align with a number of biorefining research projects funded by UKRI and Horizon Europe and led by members of the Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC) at the University of South Wales. The project will encompass a wide range of disciplines including microbiology, chemistry, data acquisition and analysis, and engineering; a flexible approach and willingness to expand existing skills and theoretical knowledge will be essential for success.

Supervisory Team:

• (Director of Studies) Dr. Jaime Massanet-Nicolau
• (Supervisors/Advisors) Dr. Rhys Jones, Dr. Rodrigo Fernandez-Feito

Scholarship details

The studentship includes tuition fees at the UK home student rate (£5238 per year, full-time) and a stipend of £21,805 per annum for four years (or part-time equivalent).