“Green Chemical Process Engineering” research group is looking for postdoctoral researchers wanting to apply to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) in 2024. Our research group is interested on developing green technologies for bioenergy production and purification of aqueous effluents using microbial fuel cells. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) form part of an emerging technology that makes it possible to convert the chemicals and biowastes contained in wastewater into electrical energy and other high-value products.

This is achieved when the bacteria pass electron energy to an electrode rather than an electron acceptor (such as oxygen). Technical feasibility of the concept has been proven recently so there is great enthusiasm in the scientific community that MFCs could provide a source of "green electricity" exploiting domestic and industrial wastes to generate power. By using organic matter in wastewaters as a fuel, simultaneously to energy generation contaminants are removed from water. To date, several main problems, including low power generation, expensive material, and complicated configuration have severely hindered the large-scale application of MFCs.

The motivation behind our research work is to develop scalable, low-cost, highly efficient microbial fuel cells for simultaneous wastewater treatment and renewable energy generation in a framework of sustainability by using ionic liquids and nanoparticles as starting materials.

Successful candidates will work under the supervision of Dra. Antonia Pérez de los Ríos. Our group offers a friendly atmosphere where the student has the opportunity of working with cut-edge green biotechnologies.

Research Area: Chemistry (CHE), Information Science and Engineering (ENG), Environmetal Sciences and Geology (ENV), Life Sciences (LIF)

How to apply: Interested candidates, please send your CV and a brief outline of the proposed research project (1 page maximum) to Dra. Antonia Pérez de los Ríos (aprios@um.es) before July 15th 2024

Please note that applicants must comply with the eligibility criteria of the MSCA PF 2024 call (must have a PhD degree at the time of the application deadline; must have a maximum of 8 years experience in research and should comply with MSCA PF Mobility Rule, available in the “2.3.2. Recruited researchers” section, p.121/142 of the MSCA Work Programme 2023-2024)