PhD position - Enhancing anaerobic digestion models for high loads and stressed conditions: int[...]

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

An established research organization is offering a fully funded PhD position focused on advancing anaerobic digestion through innovative research. This role aims to train the next generation of environmental biotechnologists, addressing critical challenges in waste management and renewable energy. The project, part of a prestigious EU-funded program, emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on experience in cutting-edge research. Candidates will engage in a dynamic work environment, fostering skills that will significantly impact the future of sustainable development and the bio-economy. This is a unique opportunity for passionate individuals eager to make a difference in environmental science.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant fields required at the start of employment.
• Research experience in microbial ecology or related areas is advantageous.

Responsabilités

• Investigate microbial interactions in anaerobic digestion systems.
• Develop strategies to enhance microbial resilience under stress.

Connaissances

Microbial ecology

Microbiology

Environmental engineering

Bioinformatics

Coding in R

Formation

Master Degree or equivalent

Description du poste

Organisation/Company: INRAE

Department: TRANSFORM

Research Field: Biological sciences » Other Environmental science » Water science

Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions: PhD Positions

Country: France

Application Deadline: 31 May 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2025

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101168769

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Information on the project

This fully funded PhD position is available under the recently launched Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Networks (DN) project “LeAD”, Leveraging Anaerobic Digestion through environmental stresses. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks are joint research and training projects funded by the European Union. Funding is provided for doctoral candidates from both inside and outside Europe to carry out individual project work in a European country other than their own. The training network “LeAD” aims to train the next generation environmental biotechnologists in order to address key knowledge gaps and develop models and technologies in anaerobic digestion responding to stressed environmental conditions, which will revolutionize resource recovery from waste towards circular bioeconomy and sustainable development.

Effective (organic) waste management and renewable energy supply are essential in our present society, such as meeting targets of the European Green Deal and the Renewable Energy Directive. Anaerobic digestion can tackle both challenges simultaneously and has been commonly applied for renewable energy recovery in the form of biogas from organic waste. The complex and sensitive microbial interactions to environmental stressors can cause the failure of anaerobic digestion, imposing challenges for innovation. In LeAD, we introduce the microbial niche nexus concept (tuning microbial communities and their metabolic pathways to achieve multidimensional microbial networks) to achieve more resistant/resilient anaerobic digestion systems, thus improving resource recovery from waste sources under stressed conditions. The 14 tailored projects are designed based on the design-build-test-learn cycle to train the doctoral candidates with systems knowledge to deal with challenges for transiting waste removal towards resource recovery through anaerobic digestion. To train the 14 doctoral candidates via an international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary program, LeAD brings together experts from several disciplines, forming a consortium of eight beneficiaries and five associated partners (including three industries). Through both local and network-wide activities and events, LeAD will educate next-generation talents with competitive transversal skills and capacities both to the academic and non-academic sectors, further profoundly influencing the future bio-economy and society.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) relies on a complex microbial community where syntrophic interactions are essential for process stability. However, these interactions are highly sensitive to stressors, potentially leading to system instability. Advances in high-throughput omics technologies offer new opportunities to better understand these dynamics and develop strategies to preserve syntrophic interactions under stress.

This PhD project will investigate how syntrophic interactions in AD systems respond to stress conditions using multi-omics approaches and explore management strategies to enhance microbial resilience and maintain stability.

Work environment

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science.

The PhD candidate will be based in the PROSE research unit (Bioprocesses for the Environment) at INRAE, located in Antony (Paris region), France. PROSE is a research unit within INRAE and affiliated with the University Paris-Saclay. It includes approximately 30 staff members and conducts research on environmental biotechnologies. Its work spans microbial communities to large-scale processes, addressing societal challenges such as sustainable development and the circular economy. The unit fosters a transdisciplinary approach, integrating microbial ecology, bioprocess engineering, and modeling to develop innovative solutions for environmental applications.

Where to apply

E-mail: [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field: Biological sciences » Other

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Environmental science » Water science

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The applicant must be in possession of a Master’s degree at the beginning of the employment in Microbial ecology, Microbiology, Environmental engineering, Environmental microbiology, Microbial biotechnologies or related areas. In accordance with the European Union’s funding rules for doctoral networks, applicants must NOT yet have a PhD degree.

The following experience will be considered as an advantage:

• Research and/or professional experience, ability and interest to collaborate across disciplines
• Familiarity with anaerobic digestion, omics studies, multivariate analysis, bioinformatics, coding in R
• Previous research publications at conferences or journals

Specific Requirements (MSCA DN Mobility Rule)

Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in FRANCE for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Date of Recruitment means the first day of the employment of the researcher for the purposes of the action (i.e. the starting date indicated in the employment contract or equivalent direct contract). For refugees under the Geneva Convention (1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol), the refugee procedure (i.e. before refugee status is conferred) will not be counted as ‘period of residence/activity in the country of the beneficiary’.

Languages

ENGLISH Level: Excellent

Additional Information

The PhD Scholarship offers a monthly competitive salary to cover living allowance (€3,957 for INRAE, gross salary), mobility (€600 gross amount) plus a family allowance (if the candidate is married: €495 gross amount) per month. The scholarship will be offered for three years, subject to annual performance evaluation.

Eligibility criteria (MSCA DN Mobility Rule)

Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in FRANCE for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Date of Recruitment means the first day of the employment of the researcher for the purposes of the action (i.e. the starting date indicated in the employment contract or equivalent direct contract). For refugees under the Geneva Convention (1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol), the refugee procedure (i.e. before refugee status is conferred) will not be counted as ‘period of residence/activity in the country of the beneficiary’.

Selection process

The applicant must submit the following documents by email with the object “LeAD application” to [e-mail] (all strictly in PDF format):

• Certified copies of the bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates and associated transcripts. Note: A Master’s degree is not necessary at the time of the application, but will be required at the date of recruitment (Autumn 2025).
• List of publications (if any) with a description of the applicant's contribution to the publication.
• References: Letters or contact details of 2 or more referees included in the CV.
• Motivation letter: maximum 1 page with the candidate’s introduction and qualifications, a research statement describing how the expertise and previous experience align with the PhD project objectives. Candidate should emphasize their future professional goals.
• Proof of residence: Statement and certificates/documents proving their residence(s) in the last 4 years.

Additional comments

The expected start date for this position is between 1st of September and 30th of November 2025.