MSCA-PF 2024: Metabolic engineering of yeast towards effective plastic biodegradation

Are you a postdoctoral researcher considering your next career move? Are you a researcher in molecular biology topics looking forward to joining a research group leading in biodegradation of polymers, metabolic engineering of yeast and screening of microorganisms toward plastic biodegradation?

If you are, The Laboratory for Biosustainability at Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences can be your host for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2024 (call ref. HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01-01).

The group consists of experienced scientists in the field of molecular biology and microbiology with a wide range of collaborations with other researchers. The main aim of our research is the biodegradation of synthetic polymers directly in the microbiological culture. The fact of plastic pollution by plastic waste and microplastics (MP) forced us to search for the solution to this global problem. The presence of MP has been detected in plants, air, rainwater, animals and human blood. Therefore, there is a strong need to invent simple techniques of plastic hydrolysis to avoid further waste leakage into the natural environment. One of the possibilities is metabolic engineering of microorganisms towards effective plastic biodegradation. By looking for wild-type microbes in unconventional environments, such as polar regions or the gut of "plastic-eating" worms, we had discovered a new microorganisms with biodegradation potential. 

The University is located in the picturesque city of Wrocław, South-West Poland, which is an educational, cultural and economic centre of the Lower Silesia region with good connections to Germany and Czech Republic as well as the other EU member countries. It employs over 1 700 staff, including 745 academics. The young academic staff consists of over 220 doctoral students and 380 scientists under 45 years of age. A broad spectrum of research is carried out within three priority research areas: Food Science (FS), Veterinary Science (VS) and Environmental Sciences (ES).International projects are carried out by our Leading Research Groups, interdisciplinary groups that will host the MSCA fellows, if funding is granted. 

Associate Professor Aleksandra M. Mirończuk, who will be the Supervisor, has extensive research and projects experience. Her projects always aim to go beyond the state-of-the-art in the metabolic engineering field and focus on finding a new solutions for the most urgent needs. Currently, her research focuses on polymers biodegradation by metabolic engineering of yeast but also by searching for new, undiscovered microorganisms with a biodegradation potential in the natural environment.

Laboratory for Biosustainability is equipped with high-tech infrastructures such as:

• Chromatography (e.g., High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Ultraviolet and RI detectors)
• Mass spectrometry (Gas Chromatography/Triple Quadrupole – GC-MS/MSS)
• Microbiology lab: incubators; incubators with shaker; safety cabins; autoclave, etc
• Molecular Biology lab (e.g., electrophoresis systems, gels documentation system; PCR and Real-time PCR, homogenizer for DNA extraction, etc) environment.

The potential research areas your project could focus on are:

• Metabolic engineering of yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for efficient plastic biodegradation
• Screening of microorganism toward polymers biodegradation (PET, PE, PS, PP)
• Optimisation of the process for the biodegradation of plastics.

For details of MSCA Fellowships, visit: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF)

Eligibility criteria and profile:

• PhD holder (up to 8 years from the date of award)
• The candidate may be of any nationality
• The candidate must not have resided in Poland for more than 12 months during the last 3 years
• Excellent publication track record
• International experience and mobility
• The candidate should always aim to go one step further

Benefits:

• Support and guidance of the Supervisor and our International Research Office when writing the proposal to help you achieve the competitive edge
• Very supportive and interdisciplinary research environment
• Attractive place to live – people-friendly town
• Competitive employment conditions if funding granted
• In Poland, the MSCA PF research proposals have a triple chance of getting funded due to synergies with other sources of funding. If you don´t succeed to reach the funding threshold in MSCA PF, but your application receives a seal of excellence, the project should automatically be eligible for funding from national funds. The third option is to use the facility of ERA Fellowship under the widening scheme.

How to apply?

Interested applicants are invited to send the expression of interest consisting of:

• a covering letter (1 page max.) outlining your project idea and showing what experience you will bring to the Laboratory for Biosustainability. The letter should also indicate what experience and skills you hope to gain by doing the project with us
• CV (including a list of publications and projects experience)

Please send your expression of interest by 15 May 2024 to: Aleksandra.mironczuk@upwr.edu.pl

If you have any administrative questions, please contact the International Research Office at:  international.research@upwr.edu.pl

Selected post-doc candidates will develop MSCA-PF proposals in cooperation with the supervisor and our Research Support experts. There will also be an online proposal writing workshop on 21 May at 12.00 CET. Additionally, you can have individual consultations and reviews of your MSCA-PF proposal as often as necessary.