Nantes Université MSCA-PF 2024 - hosting offer at the GEPEA

Gerald THOUAND professor from the GEnie des Procédés Environnement – Agroalimentaire (GEPEA) at Nantes Université is looking for postdoctoral candidates interested in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) in 2024.

• Key words

Microbial ecology, viruses populations, biodegradation, polymers, mechanism
 

• What is a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship?

MSCA Postdoctoral fellowships support the career development of researchers for enhancing their individual competence diversification in terms of skills at multidisciplinary level and intersectoral experience. The MSCA-PF grant provides a competitive salary plus mobility and family allowances if applicable, as well as research, training and networking costs. This call to interest concerns the European Postdoctoral Fellowships (12 to 24 months of duration in Europe + optional placement in private sector in Europe of 6 months). For more information: MSCA-PF.

• Team description

The laboratory GEPEA (Chemical Engineering for Environment-Food), located in the Nantes/Saint-Nazaire/la Roche-sur-Yon urban area, brings together teams from the Nantes Université, l'École nationale supérieure Mines-Télécom Atlantique and ONIRIS (École nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation de Nantes-Atlantique). The GEPEA laboratory is a large (234 people) research unit with the CNRS. It has received an A+ rating by the national evaluation committee (HCERES). The research activities are organised in 2 themes and 5 teams: (i) Bioprocess for bioresource and Ecotechnology and (ii) ecotechnology.

The research group where the postdoc would be integrated is the Water Treatment Air Metrology TEAM located at La Roche-sur-Yon. The group includes microbiologists, ecotoxicologists and chemists for the development of researches on monitoring of toxicity (microbial biosensors) and biodegradation evaluation with more than 30 years of experience.

• Profile of the supervisor

Gérald THOUAND was appointed Professor at Nantes Université in 2004. His research focuses on microbial engineering through the study of the biodegradation of chemical pollutants and biosensors applied to the environment and the agri-food industry. More information:

https://cv.hal.science/gerald-thouand

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thouand-gerald-85541b3b/?originalSubdomain=fr

• Research project

Subjetct: Diversity of viral populations in wastewater treatment plants and impact on the biodegradation activity of water-soluble polymers

The functioning of biological purification bioprocesses is intimately dependent on microbial ecosystems, actors of biodegradation. The effluents used in biological treatments contain polymers whose regulations are tightening to the point of requiring the use of exclusively biodegradable polymers in around ten years.
Many studies focus on the structure of bacterial communities present in these particular environments. However, the effect of populations of microbial viruses (bacterial/fungus/microalgae) on the purification performance and on the biodegradation capacities of these processes remains little known.
Transposed to model microcosms, such as polymer biodegradation tests, knowledge of these viral populations takes on additional importance. Indeed, kinetic behaviors of polymer biodegradation remain unexplained, sometimes showing the beginning of biodegradation then a collapse. The hypothesis being the dynamics of viral infection which takes place during biodegradation. To this, the capacity for adsorption and eclipse of the viral particles in contact with the polymer adds to the complexity of the overall mechanism observed.

The challenge of this work is to initiate an exploratory approach in this area in order to set up methods for screening viral populations present in activated sewage sludge type ecosystems with the aim of establishing relationships between communities of microbial viruses/prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial populations and polymer biodegradation performance.

• What are the eligibility criteria?

Candidates must hold a PhD at the call deadline (11 September 2024) and have 8 years maximum of full-time research experience after the PhD.

“Mobility rule”: candidates 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 the call deadline.

Candidates can be from any nationality.

Although not an eligibility criterion, a good track record is recommended.

• What’s in it for me?

1. Selected candidate will have access to online training programme and one-to-one proposal preparation sessions with our experienced European Officers.
2. Selected candidate will have the opportunity to come to Nantes for two days in the beginning of July to meet his supervisor and to start working on the writing of the project. The grant awarded for this stay will cover travel, hotel and subsistence expenses for 2 days and 3 nights (up to 1000€ for the EU countries and up to 2000€ for the non-EU countries). Nantes Université does not cover the visa fees.

• I’m interested. What should I do?

If you are interested and have the required background, apply by sending the application form to the European office (europe.drpi@univ-nantes.fr)

More information on the dedicated webpage

Registration for this scheme does not imply automatic funding. Applications will be examined in the light of the MSCA PF evaluation criteria, both by your potential supervisor and by the experienced European Officers. Selected candidates will be ranked and the short-stay grant will be distributed among them within the limits of the available budget.

You should expect feedback for your application by May 31^st.

• Brief description of Nantes Université

Nantes Université is a higher education and research institution created in 2022. This new institution has adopted a new University model unprecedented in France by bringing together a university, a university hospital (CHU de Nantes), a technology research centre (IRT Jules Verne), a public scientific and technological institute (Inserm) and higher education establishments (Centrale Nantes, École des Beaux-Arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire, École d’Architecture de Nantes).

Nantes Université is a sustainable and committed institution and one of the driving forces behind societal development. With a global and outward-looking culture, it promotes innovativeness and openness: open science, open research, open education, open innovation. Nantes Université has received the HR Excellence in Research Award and is already involved in various European projects, notably MSCA actions.