Postdoct in yeast cell factory design and production of biochemicals

Information about the division and theresearch
The Postdoc position is placed at the Division of Industrial Biotechnology within the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. The Industrial Biotechnology group is a young, dynamic and international group of researchers established in 2008 and counts now around 45 members. The common denominator of the research activities in the group is to optimize the use of renewable raw materials for the sustainable production of fuels, chemicals and materials within the main concept of biorefinery. The research performed within the group spans from fundamental research, technology development and lab-scale application: this ensures deep knowledge of the studied systems, leading to rational development and optimization of the respective applications. The research fields include production of biofuels and chemicals via fermentation and enzymatic refining of biomass, bioelectrochemical systems and algal biotechnology.

-The details of the departmental research activities may be found here.

Major responsibilities
The main task of the postdoc will be to apply modern synthetic biology tools to engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae to be used as a cell factory for production of organic acids. The developed cell factories will be used for production of biochemicals from lignocellulosic hydrolysate. In this work, combinatorial genome engineering/re-wiring (using CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPRi technologies) will be combined with high-throughput screening of strains. In the later stages of the project the focus will be on bioprocess engineering, on optimizing the production in bioreactors.

The project is a collaboration with Tampere University in Finland, funded through the Tandem Forest Values programme. At Tampere University the postdoc to be hired for the project will work on cell factory design of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 for hydrolysate detoxification and production of wax esters. The final aim is to develop a consolidated bioprocess for co-culture of yeast and bacteria for production of biochemicals from wood hydrolysate. The project includes a research visit (secondment) at Tampere University.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of two years (1+1).

Qualifications
The candidate must hold a PhD degree in Biotechnology/Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Synthetic, Systems or Molecular Biology, Microbiology or other related disciplines. The successful candidate has a vast knowledge on molecular biology and extensive lab practice. Furthermore, some knowledge in running bioreactor cultivations and bioinformatics is required. Experience in working with yeast physiology and fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates is a merit.

Most importantly, the candidate is self-motivated, enthusiastic and creative. To be successful in this position, you need to be well-organized and able to drive and conclude projects independently, take own initiatives, discuss/develop own ideas and enjoy solving problems. The project is in collaboration with other researchers, both at the division and at Tampere University thus excellent cooperation and social abilities are highly important. The candidate must be willing to conduct a research visit to Tampere University in Finland.

Good communication skills in English are required. The successful candidate will have a good academic track record and have published first authored papers in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Our offer to you
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20190722 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Surname, Ref. number) including:
• CV, include complete list of publications
• Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous research fields and main research results
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Attested copies of completed education, grades and other certificates.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 25 February 2020

For questions, please contact:
Asst. Prof. Yvonne Nygård, Dept. of Biology and Biological Engineering - Industrial Biotechnology, yvonne.nygard@chalmers.se  

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