The job description is currently only available in English

We are a leading research organisation in the field of wood and wood-related renewable resources in Europe. Our core competencies are materials research and process technology along the entire value chain – from raw material to finished product. We develop methods and fundamentals and conduct applied research at the inferface between business and science to enable resource-efficient management in the circular bioeconomy. Currently we are looking for:

Junior Researcher / PhD Position (f/m/d)

Job description:

The transformation of chemical industries towards green and sustainable technologies is one of the decisive factors towards a bio-based economy and the net-zero CO₂ ambitions of the European Union by 2050. In this collaborative research project, we are aiming to facilitate this transition in cooperation with a renowned industrial partner and to enable new manufacturing routes for platform chemicals based on an abundant lignocellulosic side stream.

Your Tasks:

• Screening and optimisation of novel and adapted biomass pre-treatment methods for utilisation of lignocellulosic waste streams from agricultural industries (e.g. STEX, AFEX, Acid Hydrolysis etc.)
• Analysis, fractionation, and characterisation of the obtained carbohydrates and lignin
• Bioprocess development for platform chemicals (e.g. higher alcohols and organic acids) using industrially established and genetically modified microorganisms (e.g. E. coli, S. cerevisiae, etc.)
• Define and implement engineering targets for strain development using state-of-the-art techniques (e.g. Golden Gate Cloning, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and OMICS-Technologies)

Your Qualifications:

• Completion of a relevant master’s degree (e.g. biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry, etc.)
• Strong interest in biotechnological processes, the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials, working with microorganisms, genetic engineering tools and analytical chemistry
• Fluent in English, additional German language skills are beneficial
• Creativity, motivation, and teamwork are essential, as well as a willingness to learn new skills
• Experience with microbial bioreactor cultivation (e.g. DASGIP, Infors), or molecular cloning techniques (e.g. Golden Gate) is an advantage
• Experience with analytical (e.g. HPLC/GC-MS) and spectroscopic methods (e.g. NMR, UV-VIS,
  FT-IR) is an advantage

Your Benefits:

• Diversified field to complete your PhD in a well-established research and technology organisation embedded in the scientific community of JKU Linz, BOKU and TU Vienna
• Working in an industry-related project in collaboration with renowned corporate partners
• Gross monthly salary based on 40 h/week of EUR 2.800,00 (14 x per year)

Location:

Linz, Austria – JKU Campus 

Starting date:

01.07.2024

Contact:

Michael Egermeier, PhD

Team Leader Bioprocess Technologies

Tel.: +43 732 2468-6781 or + 43 676 89744529

We are looking forward to receiving your application via email at: m.egermeier@wood-kplus.at