Search
Log in
Type of Project: Msc Thesis/Internship
Duration: 6-12 months
Location: Wetsus Research Institute, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
There are a few possibilities for allowances:
– The allowance for students is €200. The student can apply for ‘Wetsus Grant’ allowance (€200 extra; an internal committee decides if the allowance will be granted).
– Students can apply for Erasmus; (if the Erasmus grant is less than €400, the student can apply for the Wetsus Grant).
– Erasmus
*The Wetsus Grant allowance is not guaranteed and must be approved by the Grant Committee.
Wastewater is an excellent source of nutrients for bacteria to grow and produce secondary products. Combining the wastewater treatment process with the production of biopolymers it is possible to contribute to the sustainability of the process. Recovered biopolymers so-called Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) can be applied in different fields such as water treatment, heavy metal removal, and soil remediation.
EPS are secreted by microorganisms in their natural environment for several reasons such as adhering to the surfaces, nutrient storage, and water retention. They contain polysaccharides and proteins as main components. Their production can be stimulated by environmental stress (Fig 1). EPS production can be achieved with single or mixed carbon sources, pure or mixed microbial cultures and under sterile or non-sterile conditions.
In this research, EPS production will be achieved by utilizing wastewater as a nutrient source for mixed microbial communities under non-sterile conditions. This is accompanied by several challenges including:
Project topics:
Operation of EPS producing bioreactors with different substrates.
Requirements:
– Background in chemical engineering / environmental engineering / biotechnology or related fields
– Good analytical and experimental skills
– Fluent in English writing/speaking/reading
Optimization of genomic DNA extraction from EPS containing samples and preparation of DNA extracts from EPS producing bioreactors.
Requirements:
– Background in biology / biotechnology or related fields.
– Good analytical and experimental skills
– Experiences in microbiology and molecular biology tools are highly appreciated Fluent in English writing/speaking/reading
Application of EPS as flocculant and exploring the effects of several parameters on flocculation performance.
Requirements:
– Background in chemical engineering / environmental engineering / biotechnology / chemistry / physiochemistry or related fields
– Good analytical and experimental skills
– Fluent in English writing/speaking/reading
How to apply:
If interested, please submit your CV (max. 2 pages) with a motivational letter (max. 1 page) by using the form below (please specify which topic(s) you are interested in). For more information do not hesitate to contact Berke Kisaoglan.
